The Poppies of House Vause
by JustJane18
Summary: The comfortable but lonely life of Lady Alexandra of House Vause is turned upside down when she saves a pleasure slave from the bordello of her rival, Lawrence of House Bloom. Completely AU, mature themes.
1. Chapter 1-I Choose You

THE POPPIES OF HOUSE VAUSE

AN: So, about Season Two. I enjoyed the episodes (especially the finale), but really missed Alex and the Vauseman interaction. Looking through the list of OITNB stories I also realized most are of the 'generally canon' variety regarding Alex and Piper's relationship, much like my first, The Long Game. I love those stories! But sometimes taking the characters with their unique traits and putting them in a really different world can be fun to write, and I hope, to read.

This story will be completely AU, set in a distant fictional time and place, with mature themes and at times some dark (non-con) content. I won't be upset if that puts you off from reading. It's just that to me, the struggles of life make the love and the victory that much sweeter! I hope you enjoy.

As always, I own nothing and write just for fun. Please feel free to let me know what you think!

Chapter One-I Choose You

The walls were badly in need of repair. Alexandra, only child of the late Lady Diane and sole remaining heir of House Vause, could see the crumbling balustrades lining the guard walk at the top of the estate enclosure from the balcony of her rooms. The many who lived and worked under the looming gray bricks were under no great threat; the fortifications had been built a century ago by her great-great grandfather and were made to withstand assault by an army. However, as her monetary advisor Tasha Jefferson was constantly reminding her, these things need to be taken care of and they take money to do 'em.

That line of thinking brought Alex's gaze downward to the long, low buildings that stretched the length of the compound. The fall day was chilly and most of the workers were inside processing the raw product of the opium poppies through various intermediate products into one of the primary income sources of her family, heroin. The Vause lineage has established themselves as one of the 'Great Houses' by producing and controlling the manufacture and distribution of liquor and drugs, with a healthy tax paid to the Kingdom of Litchfield. Her estate's distillery produced the finest spirits in the land and their heroin and marijuana was pure and unadulterated, sold primarily to the smoking dens attached to nearly every pub in the city, all of which she owned and regulated.

The business was conducted above board, completely legal, and provided controlled outlets for those who sought mind altering recreation, but House Vause was still looked down on by several of the larger, wealthier families who found their source of income 'distasteful', usually while partaking liberally. The most influential belonged to the banking family, House Figueroa. They controlled the politics of the Kingdom from behind the scenes, along with several of the merchant houses. Every major area of commerce funneled through the families, although the 'families' themselves changed from time to time as generations passed and successors became lazy or soft and others more ruthless stepped forward to take their place.

House Vause was one of the oldest. Through the years each Lord or Lady heading the household had found a worthy replacement within the genetic pool, strong enough to keep their place as a 'Great House' through shrewd business dealings and harsh violence when necessary. They had a formidable guard, now headed by a former slave named 'Poussey.' She was fierce with all manner of swords and knives and Alex was fortunate to have won the loyalty of the warrior.

Remembering the circumstances of Poussey's hiring still brought a smile to Alex's face. She had been negotiating a lease at the outskirts of the city in a new district. The population of the Kingdom was growing and the area would house workers in many of the nearby mercantile plants. The workers were common folk that comprised the bulk of her customers; those looking for casual nights of drinking with an occasional visit to the smoking den to take the edge off their tedious lives.

The deal had required more effort than Alex had expected. The best space in the new square was currently occupied by a storefront 'education and training center' owned by her rival, Lawrence Bloom. The Blooms were another old family and specialized in prostitution and human trafficking. They owned and operated the slave markets and forced many women to 'choose' to work in the whorehouses in order to avoid abject slavery. The 'centers' were places where impoverished women were brought and kept for a few days in order to educate them about their options. Captured slaves were also taken to these places for reprocessing. Most of the time it was hard to tell the difference between the two groups and there were frequent allegations that Lawrence was simply forcing slave collars on anyone he wanted to keep or sell.

Bloom could easily find another location. But the landlord had told him it was Alex who wanted to rent the space he was occupying and Larry was offering to pay more just to annoy her. She had insisted the landlord take her through the property before getting into a bidding war. Nervously he had agreed and they had toured through without incident until they came to the stairs leading to the basement. When Alex had grabbed the handle she found it locked and the landlord had tried to shoo her away saying he didn't have a key. Alex might have gone along if she hadn't heard the pained groan when she shook the door.

A swift kick wrenched the door open and she had slipped down the stairs over the outcry of the landlord worried about the broken lock. The basement was clearly used for punishment. Benches held devices of restraint as well as canes and whips. Along the walls were irons and chains that held a single occupant, Poussey. She looked terrible, beaten and bloody, but still tried to stand and glare at Alex defiantly.

"Are you a slave?" Alex couldn't do much if she was, despite the obvious mistreatment. Kingdom law gave no rights to slaves. Every great house kept them, even hers. Alex liked to think she treated her slaves better, and she gave them the opportunity to buy their freedom, but her business depended on a steady supply of cheap labor and free men and women were simply too expensive for much of the menial work required.

"I escaped from the Germanic territories. I came here seeking work and was taken against my will."

Alex noted Poussey had an usual accent, not of the Kingdom, but not Germanic either. Her skin tone was dark, but not as dark as most of those from the southern continent.

"You were a slave to the barbarians?" Alex noted the landlord was now fretting about the basement, making noises of discontent.

"I was defending my home and was captured. They collared me for several years until I could get away." Poussey yanked at one of the large iron cuffs than held her to the wall. "I won't be a slave again; you will have to kill me."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "If what you say is true, you shouldn't be here. Kingdom law grants freedom to any slave that escapes the Barbarians. Who chained you here?"

The landlord was back and waving his hands aimlessly, his voice high pitched. "Lady Vause, we really shouldn't get involved in this matter."

"I asked this woman a question, not you." Alex waved him to the side with a gesture.

Poussey seemed to consider her answer for a moment. "You are not one of these people? I came here to ask about work as a guard and they laughed and called me a silly woman. There were several men here and they overpowered me, said I must be a runaway slave."

Now Alex was surprised. She had several women in her House guard, but females with military training were generally uncommon. "You have skills as a soldier?"

Poussey stood proud, her shoulders back. "Give me a blade and I can kill any man."

Alex turned to the sniveling landlord. "This woman is being improperly imprisoned. I intend to free her."

The landlord began to sweat even before he spoke. "You can't, Lord Bloom will be angry; oh this is not good, bad for business. . ."

Alex had run out of patience. "I can take care of this now, between us, or I can send my driver outside to fetch the authorities who will no doubt impose a fine on your company for allowing illegal activities at this location. Which do you prefer?"

She didn't actually wait for a response. Alex strode over to the benches and retrieved a mallet of the kind used to drive the restraining spikes into the walls. Three swings broke the chain holding Poussey.

The timing turned out to be fortuitous. Two men armed with swords pounded down the stairs demanding to know what was going on in the name of House Bloom. Poussey wasn't apparently in any mood to explain. Despite the heavy iron still around her wrists she had the first man disarmed and used his sword to pin the second against the wall in seconds.

Alex smiled. "We can take the cuffs off back at my Estate. That is if you want a job in my guard."

After convincing Poussey that killing Bloom's minions was a bad idea they left the two men chained in the basement. The landlord also wisely decided that Alex's offer on the property was very generous and that it was in his best interest to serve Lord Bloom with an immediate eviction notice.

Alex sighed. That had been a good day. Unfortunately there had been few like it in the intervening three years. Her business was steady, but with expenses, bribes and taxes her profit margin was thin and Larry Bloom continued to harass her and encroach on her territory at every opportunity. She knew he was developing cheap dangerous drugs on the black market. He also was setting up untaxed bars in the poor areas of town that sold moonshine made on the premises that often sickened people. She was going to have to take action soon. She had to protect her family profits and felt a responsibility to protect the citizens from his products.

Alex decided to head down to the production barns. She hadn't seen this season's poppy crop since it had been brought in from the fields and she was due an update from her production manager, Nicky, who also happened to be her oldest friend and occasional fuck buddy. It was no great secret that the heir of House Vause preferred the company of a woman in her bed and several of her distant relatives were constantly trying to make an issue of her preference insisting that she give up control to someone who would get married and have children to continue the family line. Alex wasn't willing to do so just yet. She cared for her people and couldn't stand the thought of some third cousin running everything she had worked for into the ground.

She also wasn't ready to give up on the idea of a family. The arrangement would have to be non-traditional, but she had seen other situations tolerated if the flow of tax dollars to the coffers of the Kingdom was protected. The bankers were always willing to look the other way to provide stability and infighting families often impacted profits. Alex knew she was getting to the age that decisions regarding children were needed, but she felt something was missing. Despite her sometimes impulsive nature she was waiting patiently, if only she knew what for.

Leaving the balcony and deep thoughts behind, Alex re-entered her rooms and found one of the slave maids setting out her clothes for the day. A dark blue dress covered with embroidered beads lay on the bed and low heeled boots sat on the floor.

"I'd prefer trousers; I'm planning to work in the opium barns today." Alex stated perfunctorily to the young woman, Leanne. She wasn't entirely comfortable with her current maids. There were three of them, somehow related to each other and from a distant rural area that seemed to favor strange accents and bad teeth. But she had taken them in despite their complete lack of skills to serve as house slaves when they begged to avoid working in Bloom's whorehouses.

"Milady. Ms. Nichols said to remind you she needs more workers to help in the barns and you promised to go to the slave market with her today." Leanne spoke with the proper respect but the undertone of dislike when saying Nicky's name was clear. Nicky and the maids didn't get along.

Alex had put the trip to find new slaves out of her mind. She understood their necessity but was uncomfortable with the concept in general. Her system of allowing slaves to buy their freedom over time had garnered her displeasure from many of the Lords of other houses, but it was the only way she would allow the practice at her estate. She didn't make it easy either; the slaves had to work hard for a minimum of eight years in order to gain freedom. Most chose to stay as workers for pay thereafter. She was a fair employer and paid an honest wage, plus most of the former slaves felt deep loyalty to her, a commodity that couldn't be bought. The houses were full of traitors and spies and the houses with cruel masters suffered the repercussions of slave gossip.

"Fine. The dress it is. Thank you Leanne." She couldn't negotiate as the Lady of the House in comfortable clothing; she needed to show off her wealth and prestige to the odious Bloom House slave traders.

Nicky was waiting for her at the main door to the barns. "It's about time. Thought I was going to have to ascend to the lofty heights of your rooms and drag your ass down here. We need to head out to the market and spend some of your wealth buying some help if you want finished product this year."

"We can do a quick walk-through on our way out. I want to see that you actually need help and aren't just too lazy to do the work yourself."

"Bitch." Nicky bowed at Alex's stern look. "Sorry. Lady Bitch."

Alex wrapped an arm around Nicky's shoulders and squeezed, walking them into the barn. "That's better."

By the time they had arrived at the market Alex had agreed with Nicky's assessment that they needed three additional slaves to handle the year's generous poppy crop. The new workers would be unskilled but could perform all manner of menial tasks freeing up more experienced workers for the more detailed work.

The first selection had been easy. A large, simple minded man named O'Neill. He was being sold by a farmer who could no longer afford him. O'Neill was familiar with crops and could haul heavy loads. Looking him over Alex thought he would probably sneak into the kitchen for snacks at every opportunity, but he was quick to smile and appeared harmless.

The second was Nicky's pick. A sprig of a girl with a scar on her neck named Murphy. She had worked in the kitchen of one of the estates and been burned by a flash fire from oil left on a stove. She had developed a terror of the kitchen and was being sold off by the Lady of the House. Nicky had chatted with the girl for a minute and found her to be quick minded and nimble of hand; both attributes Nicky could put to good use in the production barns.

The third slave remained elusive. Alex and Nicky moved methodically through the market, the traders at their heels barking out the superior attributes of this man or woman, but none met their criteria. Nicky had stated she didn't care about gender, but she needed someone who could work quickly and with minimal direction. Most of the slaves were sadly too old or sick to be considered. Others were clearly intended to be bed slaves and despite Nicky's teasing that she should purchase a nubile young girl that would keep her warm and might improve her rotten disposition, Alex had no interest in purchasing pleasure in any form.

They had arrived at the last row in the market, both women thinking they would have to come back another day. Alex noticed the traders weren't even pestering them anymore as they passed. Unlike the rest of the market where the slaves were displayed in open spaces under guard, this area held cages made with iron bars.

Alex could feel her blood begin to boil. Holding humans in cages, even slaves, was abhorrent. Worse still she realized all of the occupants were women, young, most no more than girls. Many were cowering at the back of the cages. As they walked by, one of the traders wearing the House Bloom insignia stepped up a cage holding a crying girl and lashed out at her with a whip as he barked to be quiet.

Nicky had to restrain Alex when the girl yelped in pain. "It won't do any good my Lady."

The fact that Nicky had used her title startled Alex into focus. "What is this area, these cages?"

"I should have avoided this part of the market." Nicky was gripping her arm tightly and trying to move her forward more quickly. "These girls are for the Bloom private bordello."

Alex cursed under her breath, but let Nicky lead her away. She had heard the horror stories of what happened to the girls inside the walls of the Bloom estate. They were all slaves, with no hope of a better life. They were used and abused until they died of disease, drugs or grew too 'old' and were shipped off to cheap whorehouses in the worst parts of the city.

A cart was at the end of the row, waiting to be loaded with the girls from the cages. That process was apparently being held up by an argument between the driver and one of the slave traders over a girl huddled at their feet. She was a slave, wearing a steel Bloom collar, but Alex couldn't see much more than her matted blonde hair and dirty, torn dress.

"I have instructions to take this one back to the estate." The driver had one hand on the girl's arm and was attempting to pull her to her feet without success.

"She's in no state to go anywhere you idiot! Can't you see she's got a sickness? Lord Bloom won't want her dying in the bordello! Best if we just leave her here in one of the cages. What if she spreads it to the other girls? You gonna pay for that?" The slave trader kicked at the girl's side, but with little power behind the blow. Still it was enough to cause her to crumple to the ground and groan.

The scene played out to Alex in slow motion. Deep emotions were rising from a place she didn't recognize inside her. This girl, bowed and beaten, was a part of her future. It was nonsense really, she didn't know anything about the girl other than she was sick and probably dying. Despite the logic, Alex knew exactly what she needed to do. She made her choice.

"Gentleman." She choked the honorific then smoothed her voice. "Perhaps I have a solution to your dilemma."

The two men turned towards her, surprised at the interference. The driver removed his cap and bowed. "Lady Vause."

The slave trader nodded respectfully. She was well known throughout the city. "How may we be of service Lady?"

Alex knew not to tip her hand as she addressed the trader. "You plan to leave this girl to die." She made the remark a statement, not a question.

The trader narrowed his eyes but knew he had been heard. "Yes. She has one of the sicknesses, of the woman type. She probably won't survive the night anyway."

"Well then you will both be in trouble and at a financial loss. I will take her for a fifth of silver to each of you. You can tell your employer she was sick and you left her to die." The offer was minimal, but better than nothing, and the trader wouldn't have a potential corpse to deal with in the morning.

The two men eyed each other and came to a silent agreement. The driver stepped away and the slave trader produced a leash, clipping it to the girl's collar before handing it to Alex.

Nicky gave Alex a questioning glance before swiftly producing the coinage and calling over O'Neill, the male slave they had purchased earlier. "Can you carry her?"

The large man lifted the girl easily into his arms; she was skin and bones beneath the tattered dress.

Once the group, now five, had returned to the Vause carriage, Alex had O'Neill place the girl on one of the seats inside. Alex leaned over to get a good look at her and saw she was actually a young woman, probably only slightly younger than Alex herself. She must have been treated well when she was a girl, not looking accustomed to hard work, but now showed signs of recent harsh abuse.

Alex touched her hand to the young woman's forehead as the carriage lurched forward. She had a raging fever and her eyes were blurred and unfocused. Nicky appeared with a cup of water and Alex helped the young woman sit up enough to drink. That seemed to bring a moment of clarity to her vision. The young woman glanced around, confusion written on her features. When her eyes reached Alex she froze.

Alex smiled. It appeared she was not the only one affected by their unusual meeting. "What is your name?"

The effort to focus had drained the blonde. She began to slip into unconsciousness but was able to answer faintly, "Piper."


	2. Chapter 2-Not Dead Yet

AN-Thanks to everyone for such quick, positive support! I promise I will do my best to post once a week and will do midweek bonus chapters when I can.

Chapter Two-Not Dead Yet

"Where in the name of every hell god has that bitch gone!" Lawrence Bloom, heir and master of House Bloom was accustomed to getting what he wanted. In this case what he had demanded was the return of Piper Chapman to his estate, to be held in a private room in the Bloom bordello for his personal amusement. Mostly he had anticipated Piper entertaining him with sexual favors of his choosing and sweet cries of pain as he tortured her in new and inventive ways.

The cart driver had fallen to his knees, his forehead to the floor. The position wasn't a requirement, he was a free man not a slave, but facing a Lord's anger made such supplication a healthy start at continued existence. "She was being taken away by one of the slave traders when I left my Lord." The man decided to stick to true, if not entirely forthcoming, statements. "He said she was very ill, dying in fact, and instructed me not to bring her back to the estate where she could infect others my Lord." There was no power on earth that could convince him to tell Lord Bloom the girl had been bought by Lady Vause and he had the shiny silver in his pocket to prove it.

The response of the young Lord was a deep growl accompanied by the shattering of an expensive vase against the far wall. "Find her. If she is dead, I want to see her rotting corpse. Do not return without the body of that woman."

As the man scurried away Lawrence supposed he should partly blame himself for Piper's disappearance. He was the one who had sent her to one of the family whorehouses in the worst part of the city as punishment for her continued resistance. The madam in charge, known as Vee to her girls and patrons, was a legend in the Kingdom. She ruled her slave whores with an iron fist and Lawrence had instructed her to make sure Piper was kept busy with clients and well disciplined.

The daily reports he had received from Vee sounded encouraging. The uppity blonde had initially refused to service the paying clients just as he had anticipated and Vee had responded with great creativity under the limitations he had set for Piper's punishment. Vee was normally very 'hands on' with her girls, her mastery of the signal whip was legendary, but he had instructed that Piper was not to receive any permanent marks or maiming.

It had turned out being forced to watch the other girls do her work in addition to their own followed by starvation had been quite effective. Bearing witness to a few brutal men fucking and beating her fellow slave whores made Piper quite pliable. Vee made sure the other girls knew who was to blame for their treatment and let them take their own revenge as well. Soon Piper had no friends, no food and no sleep as she stayed awake trying to protect herself from the pummeling some of the other slaves gave her whenever her guard was down.

After a week Piper gave in and Vee lined up some specially selected clients to spend time with her. Lawrence had laughed at the blonde's sentimental weakness when he got the report. As if Vee's slave whores would ever care about Piper's altruistic actions. They were weak and good for nothing other than opening their legs.

He hadn't counted on Piper getting sick and Vee was going to suffer for withholding that information from him. Illness was always a risk with whores and he employed healers to treat them. No bordello wanted the reputation of making patrons sick and Vee did have a particularly rough clientele. Piper was only there for a month; he had thought that would be long enough to teach her a lesson without any permanent damage.

Now it looked like the blonde was probably dead or dying. That made him angry and would deprive him of the revenge and fun he had planned for the foreseeable future. Piper Chapman owed him for her insolence and if the only payment he would receive was burying her in an unmarked grave, well, so be it.

Lawrence rose from his softly cushioned chair and beckoned the head of his House Guard into the room. George Mendez was a competent, loyal man who was a frequent visitor to the private bordello on the Bloom estate. Rumor had it he was not favored by the slave girls, but the whores knew better than to complain about the Captain of the Guard.

"Mendez."

The Captain came to attention in front of his Lord. "Yes sir."

"I need you to follow the man who just left. He is a cart driver." Lawrence could hardly spit the words out through his disdain. "I have ordered him to return with Piper Chapman, dead or alive, although I would prefer her still breathing. Follow him and make sure he does as asked or suffers the consequences. Find out what happened to Chapman."

Mendez was a man of few words. He simply nodded and answered, "Yes sir."

* * *

The healer emerged from the bedroom with a solemn expression. "I have done all I can Lady Vause." He bowed and went to wash his hands in a basin by the door.

Alex had been pacing the outer room for hours. Nicky had stayed for a while and then gone to bed indicating in strong terms "get some fucking sleep, you look like shit" that Alex should do likewise. She just couldn't, not until she knew if Piper was going to live. Finally she had settled onto one of the couches in the outer room, resting and trying to analyze why this slave woman was having such an effect on her. She came to no logical conclusion and was in the process of hardening her thoughts, telling herself she could not afford such emotionality in her position, when the healer finished.

"Will she live?" Alex tried to keep her voice even.

The healer dried his hands and came over to her. "I truly don't know. I gave her medicine for the infection and the fever. If she makes it through the night and the next day I would say her chances are good. It would help to keep her cool and try to get her to take fluids. I will come back in the morning to check on her."

Alex thanked the man and showed him out; she wanted to be at Piper's side.

She found the blonde sweating and breathing deeply on her bed. The healer had stripped off the tattered dress leaving Piper in her undergarments which were now completely soaked. Alex found a basin of cool water and several strips of cloth on the bedside table and used them to wipe the grime from the blonde's face and hair.

Alex stayed at the bedside trying to keep Piper cool. As the deepest part of the night passed, the blonde began to mumble, at first words of discontent; no, please don't, why. Later she started to move aimlessly and cry out names; mother, Cal, Polly and surprisingly, Larry. Alex couldn't imagine that Piper was referring to Lawrence Bloom; it must be another Larry that she knew. No slave would call the Master of the House by their first name, let alone a nickname that she knew Bloom hated.

Who was this woman? Despite her outward appearance and the collar, Piper didn't have the hard worn look of a lifelong slave. Alex took one of the blonde's hands in her own. The skin was soft, with no calluses. She had heard of girls raised from birth and trained with the intent to be pleasure slaves at puberty. Perhaps Piper was one of those. Even ill and with her thin physique she was a beautiful woman.

Certainly the blonde had made an impression on her. Alex chuckled to herself at the gossip that would be flying around the estate by morning. She had purchased a sick slave, placed the woman in her own bed, paid for the best healer in the city and was now sitting vigil. Alex had always treated her people fairly, but this was entirely different. She couldn't even pinpoint why she felt this sudden loyalty and protectiveness for the woman, it just felt right.

Piper began to thrash and clutch at the collar around her neck as if to rip it off. Alex wiped her hot brow again and tried to speak calming words, but eventually had to forcibly hold Piper's hands down to keep her from scratching the skin on her neck. When the fight went out of the blonde, Alex decided the collar needed to go anyway. She had no interest in seeing the mark of House Bloom around her slave's neck. She stepped out to retrieve a master key from the safe near her desk and returned, using it to unlock the collar which she flung into the far corner of the room. She would have the maid dispose of it tomorrow.

Alex could see the dirt and marks on Piper's neck now and used the opportunity to clean and apply a soothing balm to the skin. When she sat back and looked over the blonde, the absence of the collar didn't bother her and she felt no rush to replace it with one of her own. Perhaps in a few days after Piper had recovered, then she could have Gloria Mendoza, who was in charge of the slaves at the estate, bring her a House Vause collar.

By the time the healer made his return in the morning Alex was exhausted. She relinquished her post at Piper's side and agreed to take some rest in one of the guest rooms, but only after he indicated he would stay with his patient administering medicines and monitoring her for several hours.

When Nicky woke her, Alex could see through the window that the sun was at midday.

"Piper? Is she. . ." The panic was instinctual.

"She's hanging in there Vause, it's ok." Nicky smoothed back the hair from her forehead and encouraged her to lie back down. "I'm sorry to wake you, but the healer has to leave to see some other patients and he insisted you be told."

Alex swung her legs off the bed still shaking off sleep. "Yes, I want to speak to him. Thanks for getting me."

Nicky went with her back to her rooms. The healer was packed up and ready to go.

"Lady Vause. The young woman is stable, doing better. She is strong; I think she has a good chance now, although . . ." The older man seemed to pause in embarrassment and glanced at Nicky.

Alex understood his unspoken question. "You can say anything you need to in front of Ms. Nichols."

"I have seen this type of infection in pleasure slaves all too often. They become infected by unclean men and if it is not treated promptly they often die. If she survives, well, it is doubtful she will ever have children."

Alex raised an eyebrow at the man. It seemed a ludicrous statement to make to her at first blush. "Do I look inclined or capable of breeding with a woman?"

Nicky couldn't stifle her guffaw and Alex could see the blush rising in the healer's cheeks. "No, of course, it's just some owners encourage slaves to have offspring. I only thought you should know."

Alex nodded and bit her tongue. He was correct to tell her. A young slave woman who could not have children was worth less. "Thank you; I should have appreciated the information. When will you return?"

"Tomorrow. Her fever has broken. If she takes a turn for the worse, send word and I will return." The poor man couldn't don his coat and leave fast enough.

Nicky went to the bar in the room and took down two glasses. Alex kept only the finest of the estate's spirits in her rooms and Nicky made drinks for both of them, gesturing for Alex to sit down. She waited until they both had taken a few sips before trying to broach the obvious subject.

"What's going on Alex? I appreciate you buying this woman on the cheap, but that healer costs more than two slaves. And putting her up in your private rooms? There is already talk."

Alex had expected this and knew Nicky deserved an honest answer. They had been best friends for years and Nicky was an excellent production manager, even if she sampled the product off the books from time to time. "I don't know exactly."

Nicky started to say something, but Alex cut her off. "I'm asking you, as a friend, to back me up on this for now. There is something different about this woman Nicky; she isn't just a pleasure slave. In fact, maybe you could make some discrete inquiries; see if you can find out anything about her."

"For you? As a friend? You know I will." Nicky grinned. "I'm sure none of this has to do with her being nice looking."

When Alex scowled Nicky stood up. "Fine. I hear you. Oh, Red is worried that you haven't eaten. Can I have some food sent up since it is obvious you won't be leaving your rooms for a while?"

Alex realized she was hungry. "Yes, thanks, I guess I forgot to eat. Could you ask Red to send up some broth as well? I'm going to try to get Piper to eat."

"Will do boss lady." Nicky smiled and headed for the door. "I'll see what I can find out while you take care of your new girl."

* * *

Piper's first thought was how much every part of her hurt. She had a terrible headache and each individual muscle felt cramped and achy. A fire burned in her lower abdomen. It was difficult to open her eyes, but when she did she wondered if she had died. She was in a soft bed in a well-appointed room. The furnishings were stylish but not overly opulent. There was a distinctly feminine flair. It reminded her of a more adult version of her own room at home, but she hadn't been in that room for almost a year and now it was gone.

She decided she must not be dead yet to be in this much pain. Maybe this was another of Larry's cruel games, making her think she was being provided comfort in her misery, only to yank it away. She certainly had no idea how she had gotten here. Thinking back, the last thing she could remember was being taken from Vee's whorehouse of horrors and put in a cage at the slave market. The driver had said she was to be returned to House Bloom and she had told the driver she would rather die.

It appeared she almost had. Pulling back the thin sheet covering her, she grimaced at the dingy undergarments covering her emaciated body. Perhaps she could get out; there was no one in the room at the moment. Piper tried to sit up and move her legs, but she only succeeded in flopping onto her side and making her head and body flair in agony.

"Piper! What are you doing?"

The woman's voice sounded vaguely familiar, but Piper couldn't identify her. Escape was clearly out of the picture for now. "Where am I?" Her voice was weak and the other woman came closer to hear her.

"You are in my room. I am Alex Vause. You are sick and I brought you here to help you."

Piper rolled onto her back in order to get a better look at Alex. She was tall, with a regal air, and undeniably gorgeous. She also seemed sincere in her statements. "Then thank you. How did I get here?"

Alex's reluctance to answer raised Piper's suspicions immediately. She was probably part of some scheme of Larry's. When the response came it was more confirmation that Alex shouldn't be trusted.

"I bought you at the slave market. The trader didn't want to deal with your illness."

Piper could tell there was more to the story. She needed to keep her guard up as much as her muddled brain would allow. She rubbed a hand over her face and down her neck stopping suddenly. "The collar is gone."

She could see the anxiety her comment elicited in Alex. "Yes, I took off the Bloom collar. You have been so sick and were pulling at it, so I didn't put on another one."

Piper lay back suddenly feeling a wave of exhaustion. "But you intend to, I am your slave now?" There was no point in disclosing anything to this woman if she was just another master, even a seemingly kind one.

Before Alex could answer a red-haired older woman knocked at the door and entered carrying a tray of food and beverages. After a brief muffled conversation that she couldn't hear and a dirty look from the redhead who walked back out, Alex took the tray and set it at the bedside and then pulled up a chair. She fluffed some pillows and helped Piper sit up then took a bowl from the tray. It was a rich smelling broth and Piper eagerly took several sips as Alex held out the spoon. She knew she shouldn't say or ask anything, but her curiosity was overwhelming. "Why are you helping me?"

Alex didn't answer for several minutes. She just continued to feed her spoonfuls of broth. When the bowl was empty she set it back on the tray. Still looking away from Piper she nearly whispered, "I'm not completely sure. You needed help and well, you seemed special Piper."

The broth was spreading warmth through her body and eating it had worn her out. Still, Piper couldn't stop her smile at Alex's words as she fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3-Dangerous Recovery

AN-I'm thrilled that so many of you are interested in the story! Thanks for your support. This is the last of what I viewed as the 'introductory chapters', so I'll be cranking up the action starting with the next chapter.

Chapter Three-Dangerous Recovery

Her eyes wouldn't stay open, dammit! Alex didn't want to sleep; she wanted to think through her bizarre confusion. She was baffled by how her emotions swirled every time she interacted with Piper. She couldn't get a handle on the blonde, despite knowing that reading people was one of her strongest skills. She had put those particular abilities to good use in both business and in pleasure, but she just couldn't get an accurate assessment of Piper. Maybe it was her illness. The blonde had definitely been quiet since her arrival even when awake. She answered Alex's questions politely and ate everything given to her, but had volunteered no information about herself or her past. She didn't even know her last name!

The pressure everyone else in her house was putting on her wasn't helping. To a person, they all acted like Alex had been duped by the sick and semi-conscious slave, which was patently ridiculous. Except for Nicky. Her best friend just looked at her like she was some sort of deranged lovesick teenager who couldn't control her feelings.

Perhaps Nicky had it right. Alex had moved one of the comfortable lounge chairs into her bedroom where she could sleep a little and still be close to Piper as she recovered. It had been two days and Alex had barely left the blonde's side. Now that she was eating better, Alex had Red deliver whatever sounded good to Piper from the kitchen and they had shared several meals. Each time Alex's heart had soared just from seeing Piper enjoying the food and gaining strength.

Piper still slept most of the time and Alex alternated between watching her chest rise and fall softly, reading a book, or napping. She knew this couldn't continue forever, she was being terribly derelict in her duties managing the household business, but it was like she and Piper were in a quiet cocoon, unaffected by the realities of life. She didn't have to make every decision for the house and she didn't have to think of Piper as a slave. Even as her eyelids became too heavy to hold open Alex decided it was a nice place to be for a change, even as a temporary fantasy.

* * *

_The soft green leaves of spring tickled her face as she flew through the trees, galloping faster than safety would dictate, but she felt no danger. In fact she was free, her favorite mount beneath her, racing through the woods behind the fields that surrounded her home. The breeze was mostly created from her movement and it was enough to keep her hair back and provide that feeling of exhilaration as she rode, laughing and dodging the oaks and cedars she had known since birth._

"_Piper, wait!" The tone from her best friend carried just enough of a whine to let her know Polly would be cranky if she didn't stop. She pulled on the reins, slid off the saddle and walked her horse to the edge of the creek that ran through the property letting it drink while she waited._

_When her friend appeared in the small clearing, Piper called out to her. "Throw an apple Pol!"_

_Rolling her eyes, the brunette reached into a saddlebag and grabbed the requested fruit, tossing it as high and away as she could._

_Piper squealed with glee, reaching simultaneously for the recurve bow sitting in its quiver on the side of her saddle. She had an arrow nocked and in flight just as the apple reached its apogee. A second later the red fruit jumped in the air and then tumbled, its orbit irregular from the weight and length of the shaft now stuck through the middle._

_With a hoot, the blonde raced off to recover the arrow, returning and tossing the now messy remains of the apple towards her friend who was busy setting up a light picnic on the bank of the creek._

"_Eeewwww!" Polly gingerly picked up the damaged fruit and flung it to the feet of her horse who greedily plucked it from the ground in one bite. "Why do I spend time with you again? Knowing that you will invariably drag me into the wild and force me to engage in dangerous activities in which I have no interest?"_

_Piper laughed as she flung herself down onto the blanket. "Because I keep you entertained. Really Pol, how boring would your life be without me? All candles and soaps and wondering if this boy or that will ask you to dance at the next gathering of stuffy socialites." Polly's father owned a shop in town and spent his days molding soap and wax into products for sale. Polly manned the storefront and helped in the back during the busy season._

"_You'd rather be gallivanting around the woods and fields on your horse shooting things with that bow of yours than dancing with a dreamboat?" Polly reached over and grabbed Piper's wrist. "Never mind, don't answer that, I know. It's just, we are almost done with school and the time to find a good husband is now. All the best our age will be snatched up within the next two years!"_

_Piper flopped down on her back. "I don't care about a husband Pol! That is all my mother wants to talk about, who I should marry, what match could improve the standing of our family. She has even invited that odious Lawrence Bloom to dinner next week."_

"_Some of us don't have a big house full of servants already. Besides, the Blooms are one of the great houses!_ _You should care." Polly had complained for several years how she wanted to marry up and out of her middle class merchant circumstances. She didn't understand that the Chapman farm held almost all of its wealth tied into the land no matter how many times Piper had explained that they weren't 'rich'._

_Piper jumped to her feet and splashed into the creek. "Well, I don't. Is it so wrong I want some adventure first? I'll settle down eventually, but now I'm young and free! It's not fair anyway, Cal is going to travel soon and he'll come home with great stories from faraway lands. He can take a wife when _he_ chooses."_

_Polly just laughed at her friend. "Oh Piper, what am I going to do with you? Your pretty, smart and could be a fine Lady, but you have all of these strange ideas!"_

_Now they were both laughing as Piper twirled, water spinning off her clothes in every direction. "Lady, shmady. What is so great about being a Lady!"_

"Lady. Milady. Lady Vause!"

Piper awoke to see a slave maid lightly shaking the shoulder of her new owner who appeared to be deeply asleep in the reclining chair next to the bed. Piper wondered how much time she had spent sleeping and apparently dreaming. Maybe she should have listened to Polly that day, almost two years ago now. If she had, well, none of this would have happened.

It did give her the chance to really look at Lady Vause. Alex had dark circles under her eyes; Piper wasn't surprised, the woman had been at her bedside every time she had been briefly awake. Now she looked calm in repose, and quite beautiful despite the obvious exhaustion. Her long dark hair shone in the candlelight and her skin was porcelain perfection. Alex's body brought to mind a stable girl Piper had kissed once who had curves in all the right places. Piper had always assumed she would marry and have children someday, but she had found several girls, as well as boys, attractive over the years and didn't see anything wrong with kisses and a few touches that brought them both pleasure.

Finally Alex opened her eyes and Piper saw instantly the difference between those girls in her past and the Lady Vause; she was no girl, she was entirely a woman. Her eyes were completely captivating. Still trying to shake off slumber, the dark green depths drew Piper in until she found she was actually leaning forward towards the edge of the bed.

In an instant Alex had focused her vision and Piper couldn't stop her sharp intake of breath. The way Alex looked at her, it made her feel so many things she had always hoped for and never found. With one look Alex conveyed that she was attractive, cared for, wanted. It was almost enough to make her forget the horrors of the weeks she had spent at Vee's, almost.

"Lady Vause. You are needed for a situation. Miss Lorna asked me to fetch you."

The annoying maid was still there of course. Piper watched Alex's face change instantly, a mask of cool indifference covering her gorgeous features. Would she only see the real Alex in those rare unguarded moments?

Piper didn't know how long she had been in the room, and the bed, of her new owner, but she felt her strength was mostly recovered. She needed to know what her immediate future held, and her experiences with another leader of a great house over the last year left her leery. There had been no denying the attraction she saw in Alex's eyes, but what expectations came with that intense gaze? She was a slave; that meant for now Alex owned her body, if not her soul. She had heard of women who sought pleasure only with other women, but was that even possible for the head of one of the great houses? Or did Lady Vause want her only for a bed slave to supplement a frigid arranged marriage?

"If you'll excuse me, I have to attend to an issue. I'll be back." Alex was smoothing out the wrinkles on her clothes, a comfortable button shirt and leather pants. She certainly wasn't dressed like a married woman.

Piper had never been a patient person and she saw no reason to start now. She slid out of the covers and on her knees.

"Why are you out of bed?" Alex had been ready to leave until Piper's abrupt move to the floor.

Piper kept her head down, trying to assume her best slave posture. "Permission to speak freely Lady Vause?"

Alex's voice held a touch of anger. "Doggett, wait for me in the hall. I will be there in a moment."

The voice of the maid grated on Piper's every nerve. "Milady, its Miss Nichols ma'am."

"Yes. I understand. I'll be there in a minute." Alex accompanied the demand with a wave of her hand and Piper heard the door close behind the maid. "Well? What is so important it couldn't wait?"

Piper realized she had overestimated her strength. The muscles in her legs were already quivering from the strain, but she had to know. "Did you buy me to be a pleasure slave, your bed slave?"

Piper felt the anger rush out of Alex. She must have seen Piper's physical weakness and heard the fear in her voice. Alex reached down and helped her to her feet, gesturing that she should sit back down on the bed. "No. I have no interest in forcing anyone to engage in sexual acts."

To Piper's surprise she could see the statement caused a blush to rise in Alex's cheeks. "But you prefer women?"

Alex quirked an eyebrow, probably shocked that a slave would ask such a personal question. "Yes, I do."

Piper sighed, unsure how to proceed. Something was telling her to trust this woman, tell her everything, but it was such a risk. She needed more information. "What are you going to do with me?"

Now it was Alex's turn to sigh. "I don't know. How about we figure that out together?"

Piper wanted to believe in Alex so badly. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt that way about anyone. Before she could decide the door burst open again and this time the maid was accompanied by another woman with short dark hair in her fourth decade, who looked at her sternly. "Lady Vause, we need you now. Ms. Nichols is intoxicated and making a scene at the bordello."

"Fine." Alex was clearly exasperated at the interruption but kept her attention on Piper. "We will finish this conversation later."

As Alex passed the woman Piper didn't know in the doorway, the new woman held up her hand, which Piper could now see held a collar. "If she is well enough, Lady Vause, she should be wearing this. She also needs to be moved to the slave quarters. She can finish her recovery there milady."

Alex didn't look happy about the situation, but Piper could see the answer written in her expression. There would be no chance to discuss her past now; Alex was the wealthy, powerful woman who had bought her at the slave market again.

"Piper, this is Ms. Mendoza. Follow her instructions." To Mendoza she practically growled. "See that she receives her medicine and extra rations. I will want frequent reports on her condition, understood?" With that pronouncement, Piper felt her heart clench in disappointment, but at least she knew what she needed to do going forward. She would be planning her escape, as soon as possible, no matter how plump and kissable the lips of the lovely Lady Alexandra Vause.

* * *

Mendez had been gone for two days. Finally reporting in as Captain of the Guard, he knew Lawrence Bloom would be ready to jump down his throat. He correctly anticipated the first question. "Did you find Chapman?"

"Not exactly my Lord." Mendez was no fool. He knew Lord Bloom would be furious at his absence and failure to bring back the girl. In his opinion his Lord was making a grave mistake in obsessing over the scrawny blonde, but it wasn't his place to question. "The cart driver headed directly out of the city. When I stopped him, he claimed to know nothing and begged to be allowed to leave the city." Mendez made a slight sneer." I gave him a permanent departure, although it was probably not the one he sought."

Lawrence grumbled with impatience. "Then where is she?"

"It took me another day to find the slave trader involved, but when I did and told him what happened to the driver, he sang like a bird." Mendez took a deep breath and hoped his answer did not result in violence from the young man; he could be quite unstable at times. "The trader sold her to Alexandra Vause. Apparently Chapman really was sick and the trader thought she would be dead by morning. Vause bought her cheap and had her carried away."

Anger flared in the eyes of the master of the house, but it cooled quickly, almost icily, into something altogether different. "Did the trader think Vause knew Chapman?"

"No. I asked, but it seemed more a case of opportunity as far as he could tell." Mendez paused then decided to inform Lawrence of his final actions. "I hope my Lord does not think I overstepped my authority, but after the trader told me all he knew, I took the liberty of imposing punishment for his offense."

As he had hoped, that garnered an evil grin from Lord Bloom. "What did you do Mendez?"

"Seeing as he had abused the privilege of his position in your house, I decided to let him experience life from the other side, so to speak. I put a collar on him, beat him and had him sold as a pleasure slave." Mendez knew keeping his own emotions in check would allow Lawrence to enjoy the idea as if it had been his own. He stood as still as a stone.

Lord Bloom got up from his chair and approached the Captain. One hand reached out and clapped him on the shoulder. "Outstanding Mendez. I wholeheartedly approve."

Returning to his seat he gestured for Mendez to sit down as well and called for his senior advisor, Samuel Healy, to join them for dinner. When the trio was complete, Lord Bloom continued. "As you both know, I have wanted to take over the liquor and drug business from Alex Vause for some time. Her products fit well with our whorehouses. I envision the development of 'pleasure centers' where one can pay for all manner of enjoyment. Besides, a woman with Vause's proclivities should be banished from the Great Houses, not leading one."

"Hear, hear!" Healy barked out through a mouth full of biscuit.

Lawrence sat back and smiled. "I am engaged in several business arrangements that should help with the takeover. I also have had spies deep in the Vause House for several months providing information to further my interests. They can verify Chapman's presence and report on her condition. Yes, I think this may work out quite well for us."


	4. Chapter 4-Actions and Consequences

Chapter Four-Actions and Consequences

"Let me go you Neanderthal fuckers!" Nicky hated to be held down by anyone, even Alex's personal guard.

"You want to try that one on me Nichols?"

Nicky didn't need to see her to know it was Poussey talking. "Yeah, tell your goons to release me."

Poussey had risen up the ranks and was a Lieutenant and the Officer in Charge of the Guard that shift. Nicky didn't hear a verbal command, but there must have been a signal to the men holding her. They stood her up and lightened their hold, but kept her within a loose grasp. Now she could see the serious expression on the uniformed woman's face. "Why should I do that Nicky? You going to behave yourself now and stop acting like an ass before Lady Vause gets here?"

Nicky had been ready to lash out again until Poussey brought Alex into the discussion. She knew most of those who lived inside the walls would only hear one side of the story, that she was high and got into a fight with a regular customer at the bordello. She knew most everyone thought Alex tolerated her behavior because they both liked the ladies and she didn't want to embarrass Alex any more than she already had for tonight, especially with everything else going on.

"Yeah, I'm done." Nicky sighed and let her head drop forward in submission. "But Poussey, that guy Christopher is crazy, he was yelling at Lorna and he was getting rough and . . ."

Poussey held up a hand, palm towards Nicky. "Stop. First off, that's Lieutenant Washington to you right now. Second, did Christopher throw the first punch, or did you?"

"I'd like to hear the answer to that question as well."

Oh great, Alex had arrived. "I was just explaining to Pou. . . I mean the Lieutenant, that Christopher was acting inappropriately with one of the ladies at the bordello and I took exception."

Nicky could see Alex's jaw clench across the room even using only the one eye that wasn't swollen shut. "Let me guess. This is Christopher MacLaren who works in shipping? And the lady in question is one Lorna Morello?"

Nicky had never seen Alex angrier at her. She would have taken a step back if the guards hadn't still been crowded in at her sides. She had seen the fear Lady Vause could instill in others with that look, but she had never been on the receiving end before. For a moment she was afraid that Alex was going to take her directly to the whipping post and personally administer several lashes. "Yes milady. I'm sorry."

The apology seemed to take some of the edge off Alex's fury and she turned to address Poussey. "Ms. Nichols is under house arrest at this time. Please arrange for a guard outside her quarters."

Nicky could handle house arrest without a babysitter. "You don't need to do that, really." The plea didn't even turn Alex's head. Nicky was still feeling the effects of the smack she had smoked a few hours earlier, but her fight with Christopher had offset the drug with adrenaline. She knew she was in for a big crash pretty soon, but she wanted to apologize to Alex first if at all possible.

"I will accompany Ms. Nichols back to her rooms. Please have the first guard in place in thirty minutes Lieutenant."

Poussey gave a quick salute and waved for her guards to follow, leaving Nicky alone with Alex for the moment.

It didn't take long for Alex to grab her by the arm and begin a fast paced walk across the courtyard towards the main building where she lived, two floors down from Alex. Nicky had trouble keeping up with Alex's long strides, but since her arm was in a vice grip, she stumbled and scurried as best she could. As they approached the main doors, a woman stepped out of the shadows and quickly curtsied.

"Lady Vause. I just wanted to apologize. It's my fault that Christopher got so angry. I was just trying to talk to him and Nicky saw us and misunderstood. Christopher is a good man, really."

"A good man! You've got to be fucking kidding me Lorna! He was about to shove you away!" Nicky was struggling to shake Alex loose, but the taller woman was having none of it. "Lorna, I love you. When Christopher looks at you he only sees a whore."

Alex stepped between the two women glowering. "That's enough, both of you! Nicky, wait for me by the stairs."

Nicky nodded and walked away. She couldn't think of anything else to say to the woman she couldn't seem to stop loving. They had talked over the situation a hundred times and nothing ever changed. Nicky loved Lorna and she thought it was reciprocated, but Lorna had this enduring fascination and belief that Christopher MacLaren was still going to sweep her off her feet, marry her and whisk her away to a little white cottage to live happily ever after. The reality as Nicky saw it was that Christopher would keep Lorna on the hook by playing along with her fantasy and screw Lorna at the bordello for free as his 'girlfriend.' The whole sad situation had been boiling for months, and when Nicky saw Lorna clutching at Christopher today and he looked at her with disgust as he pushed her away, Nicky just snapped.

Nicky watched Alex and Lorna talk for a few minutes. When they were done Lorna looked over at her, smiled a sad smile and walked away.

"Is she ok? She's not in trouble is she?" Nicky could handle whatever punishment Alex decided on, but she didn't want Lorna to be affected.

"She's fine Nicky and no, she's not in trouble." Alex took a deep breath and started to trudge up the stairs. "I really didn't need this right now Nichols. _You_ are supposed to be helping _me,_ remember?"

"Aw shit Alex, I'm sorry. It's just, Lorna has been all 'Christopher this and Christopher that' and I couldn't take it anymore. I know I'm not supposed to be using, but I needed to feel something!" Nicky kicked her toe at one of the steps.

Alex paused on the landing, rubbing one hand over the side of face as if to wipe away her troubles. "Because of your need to 'feel' tonight I had to let Mendoza take Piper to the slave quarters. She saw that Piper was recovered enough to get out of bed and I couldn't think of a valid reason to violate my own rules."

Now it was Nicky's turn to take Alex by the arm and continue up the remaining stairs. "Is that so bad? I know you think there is something special about this woman Alex, but she is a slave. Besides, it's not like you couldn't still have her come to your bedroom anytime you want."

They had arrived at Nicky's door. "Don't try to lighten the mood Nichols, I am pissed at you. Now I'm going to have to do your work on top of mine for the next fourteen days while you sit here in house arrest. Plus you were supposed to ask around and see what you could find out about Piper's background."

Nicky opened her door and stepped inside, waiting to see if Alex was going to follow. She didn't. "Again I will say I am truly sorry Alex. I know how much you cover for me, and I can't complain about my life here, I have it good."

Nicky could see the serious Lady Vause was back. "I hope you think about that Nicky. You need to get this thing with Lorna straightened out. You're not just important on the business side of things; I need my friend. Now I have to do without both for two weeks."

Alex could see the guard coming down the hall to begin his watch. "Your room will be searched for product, then you should get some sleep. I wouldn't count on much to eat for a while once I tell Red you're using again either."

"That's a low blow Vause, you know how upset she'll be!" Nicky hated the thought of disappointing the older woman. She had practically raised Nicky after her real mother had run away from the city with a traveling preacher.

Alex was halfway down the hall and moving away fast. "Actions have consequences Nichols, for us all. Pull this shit again and your punishment will be physical."

* * *

Ms. Mendoza was all business. She showed Piper her bunk, the top of a set, complete with pillow and one blanket. A cabinet was set at each end of the beds, one empty and one clearly in use. The other side of the room held an identical setup which meant four to a room.

"If you have any personal items you can put them in there." Mendoza pointed towards the empty cabinet. "Your roommates are probably at dinner, they will be back soon."

Piper nodded. "I don't have any belongings." It was strange for her to imagine, but she didn't have a single thing to call her own. Her home was gone, her family too, except for Cal, and who knew where in the world he was. She really could just disappear and try to start over, one she got out of her current situation.

"You will be provided clothing and necessaries. Do you have any questions?" Mendoza's face had softened as if she could sense Piper's exhaustion.

"What will I do tomorrow?" Piper wasn't sure how much strength she could muster; the short walk from Alex's rooms had left her weak. At the Bloom's slave quarters if you didn't work you were punished, and she definitely wasn't in any physical condition to handle a whipping.

Mendoza raised an eyebrow but gestured for Piper to sit on the edge of the bottom bunk. "Let's worry about that in the morning. You do still look tired and I know you are on medicine. Come see me after breakfast for the powder. I will put it in a tea to help you get better fast. Those healers don't know everything."

"Thank you." Piper suddenly felt nervous. She hadn't realized how secure she had been in Alex's bed, with Alex at her side, her quiet strength ever present. Now she was alone, living with three strangers, and faced with a completely uncertain future.

"Hold up your hair." Mendoza had the slave collar in her hand again. She waited for Piper to comply before quickly wrapping the metal around her neck. The lock made a barely audible click, but to Piper the sound crashed through her mind and she felt a suffocating panic. She gripped the edge of the bunk tightly as Mendoza turned to leave. She didn't want to show how much the collaring had affected her.

Once alone, Piper forced her body up into the top bunk and tried to even out her breathing. Her hand kept stroking and plucking at the new metal prison on her neck that announced her status as property to anyone she might meet, but she knew it wouldn't be so easily dislodged. The collar itself was certainly more comfortable than the heavy iron Larry had put on her the first time. He had enjoyed threading his fingers through the metal and forcing her movements or clipping on a leash and dragging her behind him; the bastard had been nothing if not sadistic.

Now Alex had collared her. The metal was lighter, but locked just the same. To think she had almost revealed herself without knowing what plans Alex had for her or what the true intentions of her new owner were. No, it was better to focus on getting as strong as she could, finding a way beyond the wall and riding or running as far as possible. Even if Lady Vause had innocently purchased her and nursed her away from death's door, the kindest repayment to the beautiful woman would be to disappear before her presence and identity were discovered by Larry. She didn't need to drag Alex into her fucked up life no matter how compelling the attraction was between them.

"Hi."

Piper had been so lost in thought she hadn't heard her roommates returning. The occupant of the lower bunk was a young woman. Long brown hair and a pleasant face. It certainly wouldn't hurt to make friends with these women. "Hi, I'm Piper."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Daya."

* * *

One of the maids had changed the sheets on the bed the day Piper left her bedroom. "A thorough cleaning is in order," the one named Doggett had insisted, after politely inquiring after Piper's health. The balcony doors had been opened to let in fresh air. All surfaces had been dusted. The reclining chair had been moved back into the outer room. Her bedroom was once again completely her own; the blonde out of her sight and the not even the slightest remnant of Piper's scent in the space.

So why couldn't she get the mysterious slave out of her mind.

She had duties and work, both her own and Nicky's; enough to keep her busy most of the hours of the day and night. Tasha (Alex couldn't bring herself to call her advisor by her nickname of Taystee) was livid with her recent preoccupations. Several long meetings had established the financial situation of the house was tenuous at best and lacking what Tasha termed, "long-term positive cash growth."

Alex busied herself working in the production barns during the day, work pants and rough shirt allowing her to haul, sort and package. Her evenings were spent evaluating balance sheets from the various establishments she owned trying to see patterns in the revenue decline until she couldn't keep her eyes open. Every night, the last thing she attended to was the daily report from Mendoza regarding Piper's status.

The woman in charge of the slaves had followed her instructions to the letter. Piper had received all the required medication and a final visit from the healer declaring her healthy for work. She had been given extra rations and light cleaning duty around the quarters. Piper seemed to be fitting in well enough with her roommates and never argued or complained. Her bunkmate, a kitchen worker named Daya, had shared with Mendoza that the blonde was troubled by frequent nightmares and had woken up screaming on several occasions. Alex wanted to cry when she read that report; then she wanted to take Piper in her arms and make sure she never cried out in the night again.

Nichols house arrest came to an end and she emerged grumpy but sober, hungry and contrite, her bruised face fading to a sallow yellow. Red had given her a solid scolding on her last day and threatened to put her on permanent bread and water if she didn't get her act together. Even with the addition of Nicky's efforts, the crop processing had everyone available working long hours, and Alex was secretly relieved at the exhaustion the hard labor provided.

It was late one evening when Alex left the barn with Nicky intending to have a quiet dinner and conversation with her friend before trying to get some sleep, an endeavor she had been less than successful at lately. The distractions of the day weren't there to occupy her thoughts at night and it seemed her mind snapped with laser like focus to all things Piper. For the remainder of the night she would be reduced to lying in bed in an attempt at restful repose while she pondered, deliberated, reflected and generally mulled over every last thing she knew and remembered about her time with the blonde.

Still, Alex had resisted her frequent impulse to seek out the slave. Now, in the shadows of the sunset Alex was confronted with her first vision of a healthy Piper and she knew it wouldn't help her sleep pattern one bit. Piper was running along the inner wall, apparently without destination. She was wearing a pair of patched pants, torn off above the knees and a loose shirt.

"What is she doing?" Nicky had seen Piper at the same time as Alex. Both women were standing in the courtyard, turning slightly to keep the woman's running form in their view.

Alex had seen soldiers running as endurance training, but she had never seen a slave in such a fashion alone. She couldn't deny it was sexy as hell. Piper's hair was streaming down her shoulders and her long legs were tone and displayed a pleasant muscularity. "I think she is exercising."

"Why the hell would she want to do that?" As if to make her point, Nicky stretched her arms above her head and worked her neck until it cracked. "Looks like she's feeling better though. That's good, right Alex?"

Alex could hear the subtle teasing and cracked a grin. "Yes. _Real_ good, wouldn't you say?"

"Oh yeah. You'll probably want to encourage her to continue to exercise, don't you think?" Nicky enjoyed watching her oldest friend practically drooling.

They watched as Piper completed her circuit and headed back into the slave quarters, apparently unaware of being watched. When she was out of sight Alex let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. "Wow."

Nicky shook her head. "You're really not going to do anything about that?"

"No. You know how I feel on that subject. Besides, she was a Bloom pleasure slave and not by choice. I would never want her to think of me like those pigs." Alex could only stare at the ground.

"Fine. Then you won't mind if I inquire whether the lovely lady is interested in spending some quality time with me?" Nicky was on the move before Alex's hand could slap her.

"Don't you dare! I thought you were my friend. Besides, what about Lorna?" Alex yelled, chasing Nicky.

"Hey! I'm trying to stay out of trouble for once, and get you into some. You know you want her, so do something about it already!"

Alex let Nicky get away from her, knowing she was right. She needed to do something about Piper or she feared she would never get a decent night's sleep again.

* * *

"He's an archer in the guard. He used to be a swordsman, but he lost a leg in a campaign against the barbarians. They need more archers manning the walls here and the pay isn't the best, but with one leg he's lucky to have the position. His name is John Bennett. But don't tell, he doesn't have the money to buy out my contract yet and it will cost more with a baby."

Piper was sitting on Daya's bunk sharing an apple she had kept from dinner. "So what happens when Mendoza figures out you're pregnant? Will you get in trouble?"

"I won't, what's another born slave? But John might. The young guards are encouraged to go to the bordello ladies in order to keep from 'emotional distractions'." Daya frowned and pulled her legs up to her chest as best she could. "John's not like that; he didn't want just sex, he loves me."

Piper patted the younger woman on the knee. "He sounds wonderful Daya. I'm sure you two will find a way to be together as a family."

The women sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes when a thought came to Piper. When she wasn't thinking about Alex Vause's eyes and lips and how she would like to be close to them again, Piper had been racking her brain for ways to escape to no avail. Every option she had considered would most likely have resulted in her death or capture and punishment. But this might be just the opening she had been seeking.

"Daya, did you say John is an archer?"


	5. Chapter 5-Bow and Arrows

Chapter Five-Bow and Arrows

"Piper has been moved to the regular slave quarters, and she is fully recovered?" Lawrence wanted to have this conversation personally with one of his spies inside House Vause. He didn't want any misunderstandings or misinterpretations through intermediaries. It had been weeks and apparently Piper was being smart and keeping her past a secret, at least for now.

"Yes my lord. After she got better, Lady Vause had her moved. Piper is on the cleaning crew, taking out trash, that sort of thing."

Lawrence couldn't help but smile and laugh. "Trash detail? Oh, that is priceless. I can just see her lugging rotten garbage. Tell me, is she unhappy? Miserable?"

Leanne visibly squirmed. She was a terrible liar, but didn't think Lord Bloom was going to like her answer. "Well, her bunkmate said she had nightmares sometimes."

"Good, good. What about during the day? I would imagine she is alone and ostracized." He was practically rubbing his hands with glee.

"Not exactly. She seems to have made a few friends amongst the ladies. I don't think she's happy, but that's like any other slave." Leanne dropped her face as she saw the impact of her words on the young lord.

"That is unacceptable." The words were delivered in a flat low tone that frightened Leanne. "We must find a way to increase Piper's suffering, do you understand?"

Lawrence could see from the maid's slack jawed look he would get no ingenious plot from her. He paced back and forth in the small room at the back of a tavern near the Vause estate where he had arranged to meet the traitor. What would cause Piper pain, either physical or emotional, preferably both, until he could buy or steal her back from Alexandra Vause?

"Who are Piper's friends? Anyone she seems particularly close to? Someone she might be upset about losing?"

Leanne blurted out the first thing that came into her mind. "Well that would be Lady Vause I guess. There were all sorts of rumors at first with Piper staying in her room and bed and all. The Lady has been all sad and quiet ever since Piper got moved to the quarters. I think they kinda like each other in that personal way, but Lady Vause makes a big deal about not bedding slaves."

"Oh really?" Lawrence leaned forward and studied the maid intently. She was a dullard of course, but seemed capable of following simple commands. "I'm going to send someone to the estate. A man who works for me. All you will need to do is get him inside and point out where Piper is, do you understand?"

Leanne understood doing this was dangerous and could get her severely punished. It was Doggett who had made the initial deal to spy for Lord Bloom and had offered up all three of them as house maids to Lady Vause. She almost shuddered to think what her life would be like if she had remained under Bloom's control as a slave. "Sir, I don't know. I mean I don't mind tellin' you things, but this could get me whipped if I got caught."

The young lord's gaze was ice. "Then I suggest you don't get caught."

Leanne knew she would have to follow orders. It was just that Lady Vause had treated her fairly, almost kindly. She was regretful that she had let Doggett talk her into the spying, the extra money wasn't that good. Now she was putting herself at even greater risk because Tiffany had the evening shift to attend Lady Vause so she had come to deliver the information to Bloom. Maybe she could get Doggett to let Bloom's man into the estate. Either way there was really only one answer.

"Yes milord."

* * *

"You could get in big trouble for this Piper, are you sure it's worth it just to practice?" Daya was walking with her bunkmate towards the archery range, a long narrow space placed behind the stables for safety.

Piper just smiled at the young woman she had come to think of as a friend. "It is soooo worth it! I finally feel like I'm doing something I'm good at again. Once I shook the rust off, it all came back to me. The power, the control, watching the arrow strike the bull's eye. I just wish I could practice from horseback."

"You know how to shoot from a horse? Where did you learn that?" Daya was surprised. Slaves didn't ride very often and they were never trained as horse archers.

Piper inwardly kicked herself; of course Daya would be curious. "I used to live on a farm near a forest. We would hunt small game sometimes." She quickly moved on to another topic. "I can't thank you and John enough for this opportunity. I promise it will never come back on him. If anyone asks, I'll just say I found the bow and arrows in the stable, which is true. No one needs to know John put them there for me."

"That's ok Piper. We're watching out for each other." Daya had been happy to help Piper with her archery hobby in exchange for Piper helping keep her pregnancy a secret for now. She and John just had to figure out a plan before she got too big to hide her belly. "Here we are."

They had arrived at the stables. Piper took a quick look to see that the range was empty, which is was. She selected dinnertime knowing the guards wouldn't be practicing at this hour. Daya peeked into the stables and saw only a couple of the young slave boys grooming horses. They wouldn't say anything about Piper picking up the bow and quiver of arrows from an empty stall.

"All clear. Have fun and don't be out past curfew young lady." Daya pointed at Piper and spoke with a forced sternness.

Piper laughed and headed into the stables. "Yes Mom. Have fun with John!"

* * *

"That's her, the blonde. You can grab her in the stables." Leanne had done her duty, letting the Bloom man in a side gate and showing him where Piper could be found alone. Now she wanted nothing more than to get back to her quarters.

"I know what she looks like you dolt. You say she practices archery on the range?"

The Bloom man had not given his name which was fine with Leanne; she didn't really want to know the tall mustachioed man. "Yes, in the evening. She comes out here, shoots her arrows and goes back to her quarters."

"I think I'll watch the show and take care of my business when she is done practicing. Have you watched her? Is she any good?"

Leanne didn't like the expression on the man's face; it made her uncomfortable and kind of queasy. "She's very good sir. I haven't watched much, but she seems to hit the center most of the time. She'll go back into the stables when she is done. I have to go sir; I have duties of my own."

She got her answer with a strong grip to her wrist. "You're _duties_ are to help me with my mission tonight. I may need your assistance so you are not going anywhere."

Leanne stood uncomfortably next to the Bloom man as he watched Piper practice for about an hour. She shot arrow after arrow, starting straight on then changing range and angles. She was completely focused and struck mostly bull's eyes, never once missing the target completely. Leanne didn't know much about archery, but even she could tell Piper was very talented, maybe as good as the best of the archers in the house guard.

When the light was too dim to see, Piper stopped and gathered the arrows from the target, placing them carefully back into the quiver, before heading towards the stables.

The tall man grabbed Leanne by the shoulder, yanking her until she faced him. "I need you to go get Lady Vause, now, and bring her to the stables. She needs to be there in 10 minutes, no sooner and no later, do you understand?"

Leanne was terrified. She had no idea the Blooms would involve her to the extent. "What do I tell her?"

"Tell her one of her slaves is doing something wrong." The tall man was smiling but it looked more like a sneer.

"Piper will get in trouble." Leanne's eyes were wide with panic.

The tall man shook her hard where his hand was still on her shoulder. "Would you rather I tell Vause that you are a spy? That might get you hung."

"No sir. I'll go." Leanne scurried away. Maybe she could think up an alternative before she got to the Lady's rooms.

Leanne could feel the eyes of the man on her back as she left. Just before she turned the corner by the stables she heard him say out loud. "Showtime!"

* * *

Nicky was nearing the end of her rope. Alex was driving everyone crazy with her tired impatience and general grumpiness. Most of those living within the estate assumed the problem was work related; the crop processing was going too slowly. Nicky knew better. Alex was working herself into a stupor and then still not sleeping well, all because of a certain blonde slave. Nicky had caught Alex watching Piper running around the perimeter of the compound two times since that first evening, but she still refused to approach her.

It was time for action. If Alex was unwilling to do something about her obvious infatuation with the blonde, Nicky could give the situation a gently push, or a gigantic shove if necessary. The first order of business was to talk to Piper and find out if the feeling were reciprocated. If not, Nicky would see to it that Piper was sent away, somewhere safe, but out of Alex's sight. If the blonde had feelings for the Lady of the House, well, Nicky could certainly make a plan to bring them together, slave issues notwithstanding.

It was just past sundown and activity was quieting as Nicky strode across the compound towards the slave quarters. She was surprised to see Leanne, one of Alex's house maids, coming around the side of the stables in a near run.

"Taylor!" Nicky called out sharply. She had never trusted the new maids Alex had brought in, they were a cliquish group. "What are you doing at the stables?"

Leanne looked up at her with a frightened expression and for a second Nicky thought she was going to bolt away. Instead the woman seemed to change her mind and approached.

"Ms. Nichols ma'am." Leanne was out of breath. "I need to get Lady Vause, quick, to come to the stables. Do you know where she is?"

"Why does the Lady need to go to the stables of all places? What is going on Taylor?" Nicky was instantly suspicious.

"It's the new slave, Piper. She's in the stables and I think she's doing something wrong." Leanne was being unduly vague about the reason, but it didn't matter.

"Lady Vause is in her rooms. Go get her immediately." Nicky was already on the move towards the stables before she finished speaking. If something was going on involving Piper, Nicky wanted to assess the situation before Alex got there. Looking back she saw Leanne just standing. "Get a move on Taylor!"

Nicky arrived at the main doors of the stables but couldn't hear anything from the inside. She decided on a more stealthy approach and walked around to a little used side door that divided the stalls inside. The door creaked slightly and she froze for a moment before she realized she could hear voices inside now, loud and angry, and the speakers had not heard her enter.

"Did you think you could hide from us? Get yourself sold to another house and then what Chapman, live a quiet little life as a slave here?" The voice belonged to a man and it carried anger and disgust.

"I didn't ask to be _sold_ as a _slave_ Mendez. I don't know what you want or what you are doing here, but it won't work." Piper sounded angry as well, but with an undercurrent of anxiety.

The man, Mendez it seemed, laughed. "Oh, it will work Chapman. You won't be living here much longer, in fact your new owner is on her way right now, and she won't like what she finds at all."

Piper laughed, a short barking sound. "No, she definitely won't like finding a Bloom guard in her stables, but I don't see how that helps you!"

"I expect Vause might be a little upset when she comes in those stable doors in a few minutes and finds us fucking. Especially when I tell her I paid you. Angry enough in fact that she will be more than happy to part with your traitorous whoring ass." There was no mistaking the undertone in the man's words now.

Nicky could hear Piper start to move, backing away, her feet crunching slightly on the straw scattered on the ground of the stall. Nicky had no intention of allowing anything to happen to Piper even if the blonde had been keeping secrets from Alex. She only hoped announcing her presence would dissuade Mendez since she wasn't exactly a fighter.

"I'm not a whore Mendez, nor a traitor. I have kept my end of the deal, what brought me here wasn't my fault." Piper's voice was clearly frightened, but she still tried for defiance. "Plus I would never fuck you, and I'm sure Al. . .Lady Vause is smart enough to see that."

Suddenly there was a crash against one of the wooden stall walls and Piper let out a pained yelp as Mendez got louder. "You were supposed to come back to the bordello. Lawrence had promised me some special time alone with you and you messed that up by getting sick and then sold. So now I'm going to take what I'm owed. And don't even think of telling anyone the truth, you know the consequences for your friend and wayward brother."

When she heard the sound of cloth ripping Nicky knew she needed to act. She started to emerge from between two of the stalls just as the large stable doors burst open. Poussey and another guard flanked Alex as they strode in at a fast pace.

"Piper! Are you in here!" Alex's voice easily carried through the large space with all of the authority she commanded.

Nicky decided to keep her presence unknown after all and see what she could learn now that soldiers were on the scene. Piper was involved with the Blooms as more than a former pleasure slave and that could definitely impact Alex and all of House Vause. From her vantage nearer to the two she could hear Mendez utter a quiet, "too soon dammit!"

"Here Lady Vause." Piper emerged from one of the stalls into the central aisle, her arms wrapped around her middle and holding her torn shirt in place.

Poussey stepped in front of Alex and walked towards Piper. "I know someone else is here, show yourself." She had her sword half unsheathed when Mendez swaggered cockily out of the stall where Nicky could see him. It was obvious he intended to give the impression he and Piper had been 'rolling in the hay' even if it wasn't true.

The effect on Alex was immediate. A wave of shock passed over her face before being replaced by a dark fury. "Who are you?"

"He's no one milady." Piper moved past Mendez towards Alex as she spoke. "An old . . . acquaintance, helping me with . . . something I've been working on, for you Lady Vause."

Nicky sat back on her heels wanting to be sure she wasn't discovered now. What possible reason could Piper have for covering for that slime ball?

"Did that 'work' include tearing your shirt?" Poussey addressed Piper but glared at Mendez. "I don't recognize him, what is his name?"

Piper sighed. "The shirt was an accident; I caught it on a nail. His name is George."

"What are you doing in the stables?" Alex's tone left no doubt she expected an honest response.

"Let me show you, I just need something from the stall." Piper waited for a nod from Alex and stepped away.

The moment was enough for Mendez to step forward and address Alex. "Lady Vause, I'm from House Bloom. Clearly this slave is more trouble than she is worth. My lord would be willing to buy her back, take her off of your hands." Mendez knew he was taking a risk identifying himself, but he couldn't go back to his boss with nothing.

Piper was back holding the bow and quiver of arrows away from her body in a unthreatening manner before turning to face Mendez glowering, her back momentarily to Alex and Poussey. "He was helping me. I know I shouldn't have him here, being one of Bloom's men, but I didn't know anyone else."

"Why on earth would you be practicing archery Piper?" Alex sounded halfway to taking Mendez up on his offer. Her tone was full of disbelief.

Piper set the equipment down and approached Alex, dropping to her knees and lowering her voice, all of which seemed to amuse Mendez. "Can we talk about it in private? Please Lady Vause?"

Alex sighed deeply with a disappointed grunt at the end. "Piper, you will wait for me outside. I will hear your explanation before I decide if you should face a tribunal or simply be placed in a house arrest awaiting punishment." She indicated to the guard to go with her.

Mendez looked less comfortable now as Alex beckoned him over. "You are clearly a spy, even if you came here on the pretense of helping Piper."

"Lady Vause, I cannot deny I had an ulterior motive, but it was not to spy. I wanted to help Piper see that she belongs back with Lord Bloom and to offer my services as slave trader." Mendez spoke with conviction, enough to make Alex pause.

"I should have you lashed just for being in my estate without authorization. It would be completely legal and justifiable and maybe the marks on your skin could 'explain' to Lawrence Bloom that his men are not welcome here." Alex was strongly considering doing just as she said, but there was problem. If she punished this man, she would have to punish Piper at least as severely, and she wasn't ready to do that without hearing Piper's explanation.

"Again my apologies Lady Vause." Mendez was smart enough to bend to one knee and drop his head. "I meant no disrespect."

Alex stood as if considering all of her options for a long minute before speaking. "Please inform Lord Bloom that none of my slaves are for sale to him and the next one of his men found here will be caned." Alex had spun and was headed out of the stable when she spoke to Poussey, "Lieutenant, escort this man off of the estate immediately."

Nicky sat tight for another few minutes. She had been neglectful in her duties to Alex in regards to Piper. She had been viewing the blonde as entertainment and company for her friend, but there was obviously something much more going on, and it was her job to find out. Dammit if Alex had realized Piper was different from the beginning! She had her own contacts and spies throughout the city and it was time to call in some favors. Before morning she intended to know all there was to know about Piper Chapman and Bloom's man Mendez.

Alex found Piper standing and staring at the ground in the large courtyard with the guard next to her. "Walk with me." She motioned for the guard to stay well back and the two women began to move across the open space at a sedate pace. Alex couldn't imagine what Piper had been thinking. She had to know getting caught with the Bloom man was almost certain punishment, probably severe.

"Do you want to tell me what that was really about?" Alex tried to keep her inflection neutral, even if she really wanted to yell at the blonde. The problem was she still didn't know if Piper was trying to cover up a sexual dalliance or something more serious.

Piper stopped and turned to look Alex in the eye. "I really was practicing."

Alex squinted her eyes in anger and Piper held up both hands palms out. "I didn't know George would be there. I was hoping you would just overlook him."

"Are you in a relationship with him?" Alex had nearly coughed on the word 'relationship.'

Piper's eyes widened. "Gods no! Never. He was trying to convince me to go back to La. . . . Lord Bloom. That's all. I'm sorry I lied, I just didn't want any more trouble."

"So was the archery thing was a ruse?" Alex was still confused. "You let him in and went to the stables to talk?"

"I swear I didn't let him in! I was practicing on the range and went back into the stables to store my bow. I've been hiding it there. Mendez was waiting to talk to me." Piper pursed her lips and blew out a small breath. "I know I shouldn't have been hiding my archery and I will accept whatever punishment you impose for that offense."

Alex motioned for Piper to begin walking with her again. "Why does Lord Bloom want you back bad enough to send one of his men here?"

Piper's voice became tight. "Lord Bloom doesn't take losing well. I was scheduled for return to his bordello and I guess he still wants me back."

There was no doubt more to that story, but Alex was willing to let it go for now. She needed to sort out these events and wanted to go over everything with Nicky before deciding on a course of action. At a minimum she had a traitor in the estate who had given the Bloom man access. From her reaction Alex didn't think it had been Piper, the woman was a terrible liar.

"So, are you any good?"

"Milady?" Piper looked surprised at the question.

Alex laughed out loud. "At archery! Are you good?"

Even with the darkening sky Alex could see the blush rise in Piper's cheeks. How a pleasure slave could still be so innocent she didn't know, but it was delightful and made Piper even prettier than usual.

Piper squared her shoulders and tried to look confident. "Yes I am. I was going to ask you if I could become one of your archers. I know I can't leave the estate, but I could take shifts on the wall. Can I show you, tomorrow?"

A slave archer? It wasn't common, but they did exist, although Alex had never heard of a female slave archer. How had Piper learned to shoot as a pleasure slave? So many questions about the blonde, and yet Alex felt herself nothing but intrigued. It certainly wouldn't hurt to let her try out. Perhaps if she was good enough the practice sessions could be retroactively authorized and the whole issue of punishment avoided.

"Alright, tomorrow morning, 10 am, at the range. We'll see how good you really are."

Alex was pleasantly shocked when Piper squealed with glee and planted a kiss right on her cheek. "Thank you!"

* * *

Poussey had heard the name George Mendez before. She knew he was an officer in the Bloom guard with a reputation for cruelty. Whatever story he had concocted to get inside the Vause estate, her home, was nothing more than the lie of a master spy. His acting job in the stable hadn't fooled her in the slightest. She also knew why Lady Vause had let him go; she hadn't wanted to punish Piper.

The blonde slave was hard to figure out. Poussey didn't know what was going on between her and the Lady, but Piper wasn't being honest and that spelled trouble.

For tonight, with her own past entanglements with the Blooms, Poussey was more than happy to deal out a little revenge on Mendez before she bade him farewell. She knew Lady Vause wouldn't mind.

They had arrived at the main outer gate which has closed for the night. Poussey ushered Mendez to the side door in the guard tower and gestured for him to go through first. As the tall man passed her, Poussey reached out and grabbed his wrist, twisting it quickly behind his back and up until she heard a quiet snap. It all happened so fast Mendez didn't even scream until he was out in the street and the door was closed behind him.

Poussey opened the small window used for communication with visitors. "Consider that a parting gift spy, and be glad Lady Vause didn't order you punished. I would have taken a whip to you with pleasure."

Mendez was left cradling his painfully broken wrist with a long walk home. He decided before the sun rose he would have a plan to make these bitches pay.


	6. Chapter 6-They All Fall Down

AN-I feel like this story had found a great home with all of your amazing support, thank you!

Chapter Six-They All Fall Down

Alex awoke slowly, a smile on her face and her right hand lying over her cheek, suspiciously placed over the spot where Piper's lips had touched her skin the evening before. She stretched in bed, feeling the replenishing power of a full night's sleep, her first in weeks. Her dreams were still filled with the blonde slave, but for the first time Alex's subconscious had foregone images that left her sad and wanting and given her glimpses of happiness. Simple things like holding hands, eating breakfast, reading together in her study.

Could Piper read? Somehow is seemed a silly question as if she knew Piper could, but few slaves had any formal education. Again it brought to the fore how little she really knew about Piper. Why did everything about the blonde end up confounding her?

She had left Piper last night to find Nicky and fill her in on the events at the stable. Their first priority needed to be discovering the identity of the traitor who gave Bloom's man Mendez access to the estate and the stables. Spies were an unavoidable aspect of life in the great houses, but she had never had to deal with such a direct threat.

When Nicky was nowhere to be found Alex had decided to retire to her rooms for the evening and process events herself. With Mendez booted from the estate she had time and could fill in Nicky later. Hopefully Nicky was not indulging her addiction out in the city in order to avoid more trouble at home.

Alex got up and wrapped a robe around her nightgown before opening the balcony doors to let in the crisp air. She was determined not to let dark thoughts dampen her first good mood in months. The early morning sun was weak but cast a golden glow over the wall. Alex wanted to believe the natural beauty was a portend of good fortune for the day, she felt a little overdue.

A quiet knock at the door announced the arrival of her breakfast.

"Come in."

It was Taylor this morning, carrying a tray with toast, fruit and beverage. As the maid set down the meal Alex noticed the coffee had spilled as had some cream and that the maid's hands were visibly shaking.

"Leanne, what's wrong?" Alex had always found this maid the most skittish of the three, but she had never seen her scared before.

The question caused Taylor's hand to lurch forward, knocking the coffee cup completely over. "I'm so sorry Lady Vause, here let me clean this up."

Alex frowned, not at the spill, but at the distraction it caused. "Leanne! You're shaking. What is going on?"

The slave was on her knees, her head bowed in an instant. "I. . . I. . didn't sleep very much last night milady. Troubles that you shouldn't be bothered with, and now I've brought them to you and ruined your meal." Taylor was up on her feet and running for the door before Alex could even respond. "I'll get you some fresh coffee, just enjoy your breakfast!"

Alex wasn't sure what that whirlwind had been all about, and shook her head as if to clear the confusion. She smiled as it seemed to work and she settled into her chair, picked up the bowl of fruit and plucked some melon with her fingers. Not even her maid's strange behavior was going to bring down her mood today. After all, she was going to see Piper today, perhaps for an hour or more. Who knew what could happen in that amount of time?

* * *

"You trust this man to get the job done when you failed so spectacularly?" Lawrence felt his condescending tone was warranted. After all, Mendez had not only failed in his mission, he had gotten his arm snapped by Vause's pet guard before his butt was humiliatingly dumped into the street.

Mendez brought his arm up, cradling his wrist unconsciously in the now dry cast. "Yes my lord. He works freelance as they say, but he is the best."

Lawrence snorted. "I assume 'freelance' means we will be paying a generous amount for this service?"

This time it was Healy who answered. "There is an additional premium for a rush job with no possibility of attribution back to House Bloom. This better work for what we are ponying up."

Mendez ignored the older man's comments. He was soft and lazy. "It will happen today. One of our spies has indicated Vause will be out in the compound at a specific time and our man will be in place."

"Acting so quickly should deflect the suspicion that will no doubt fall upon us after your debacle yesterday Mendez. Even Vause wouldn't imagine we could plan this so quickly." Lawrence rose from his seat and headed for the door. "I will be spending the day where everyone can see me, the slave market I think." He stopped and gave Mendez one last glare. "For your sake I hope this plan is executed to perfection. I want Piper Chapman back here by nightfall or there will be consequences."

* * *

For the first time in months Piper awoke without a feeling of panic or anguish immediately gripping her. There had been a nightmare several hours earlier but it had faded quickly to simple flashes of the faces of her tormentors, Mendez, Vee and the ever present Larry.

As usual she was up before any of her roommates and decided a shower was in order. She found the facilities empty and bearable at the earliest hours of the morning with hot water still available. As the warmth worked into her muscles she felt the tension of the confrontation with Mendez melt away. It had been horrifying to find Bloom's Captain inside the compound and it reinforced that nowhere was safe. His actions had been completely predictable, although she wondered what Larry would think of Mendez threatening to rape her. Of course using that bit of information would mean she was once again in Bloom's control, and that was the one thing she had to avoid at all costs.

Piper turned her face up into the stream and let the water flow down her body as she changed her thoughts to things more pleasurable, like Alex. She had impulsively kissed the Lady of the house the night before and had been delighted at the slight blush and small smile she had received in return. By all the gods if only the situation wasn't so completely dreadful and hopeless she would have kissed Alex for all she was worth. She had never been so attracted to another woman, or man for that matter.

Her breathing suddenly sped up and her throat started to close off in distress and it took her a second to figure out why. She had envisioned more than just a kiss with Alex. It was a fleeting image; the two of them entwined with large expanses of deliciously naked skin touching and rubbing together, but when dream Alex had reached to give her pleasure, down there, she panicked. Piper realized she hadn't had thoughts of intimacy since her time at Vee's, probably as a defense mechanism to the horrors that had been forced on her.

Piper leaned against the shower wall and took a few deep calming breaths. Kissing, she could think about kissing, nothing dangerous there. Alex's face with a raised eyebrow and wry smile floated in her vision and brought her heart rate back to normal. She had a big day ahead and she still wasn't sure what course of action to pursue. She had made a plan to escape using her skill and proximity to Alex, possibly using her as a human shield. However, after yesterday's events she knew that running away would not solve her problems. Larry could track her down anywhere and Polly, well, she didn't want to think about the consequences to her best friend.

As she stepped out of the shower and dried off, Piper thought about the slip up Mendez had made. In addition to Polly he had referenced what might happen to 'her wayward brother.' That meant the Blooms hadn't found Cal yet. Maybe they couldn't or weren't really trying, either way it was one less person Piper had to worry about.

More women were coming into the shower area as Piper vacated. She dressed in her rough sown slave clothes and did a few stretches. Her body felt recovered from her illness although she was still working on gaining back some weight. Who did she have to thank for saving her life? Alex, and now she was contemplating abusing the trust of the woman who had personally nursed her back from death's door and to whom she was undeniably attracted. There had to be another way and she needed to come up with it quick.

"Why the frown and head shaking?" Daya had caught up with her as she made her way down the corridor towards the mess hall.

Piper hadn't noticed she was so caught up in her own thoughts and gave Daya a little nudge in greeting. "Just want to do well today at my archery tryout in front of Lady Vause."

Daya stopped, her mouth drooping open slightly. "Really! That's great Piper! I'm so happy for you." She linked arms with Piper and started them back towards breakfast. "The Lady herself will be in attendance, huh? Wonder why that is."

"I have no idea what you are implying." Piper gave Daya a haughty expression that lasted all of two seconds before they both broke out laughing. "Come on little momma, let's see what gruel is on the menu this morning."

* * *

Nicky was annoyed. The midmorning sun was shining down too brightly as she strode through the gate of the compound on her return from the city. She was hungry, tired and feeling more than a little grimy after an entire night of meeting with contacts for information about Piper. Several of the spies had insisted the meetings take place in less than desirable locations, most often the lowest of bars and whorehouses.

And what had she garnered for her exhaustive efforts? Mostly rumor, innuendo and speculation. Everyone she had spoken too agreed that Lawrence Bloom had an obsession with Chapman, but the basis was unclear. She was not from the city, but Nicky had been unable to pinpoint her home of origin. The closest she got was from one of Vee's girls who told her Piper was from the farm country and that she didn't act at all like a pleasure slave.

The most detailed information came from a spy slave who had slipped away from the Bloom compound and met her in the dark of early morning in an back alley whose occupants included a lovely combination of pox ridden drunks and the largest rats she had ever seen. He had whispered as if the bricks in the walls had ears that Piper wasn't a slave until Bloom collared her at his compound less than a year ago and that the lord of the house had some sort of hold over her. For an extra silver the man had given her all the dirty details on Mendez as well. He was the captain of Bloom's private guard and acted as a torturer and enforcer when called upon. He was apparently a man without scruples who like to abuse women, which made his interaction with Piper at the stables all the more troubling.

Nicky was used to getting all the answers, not being doled out small and incomplete portions of the bigger picture. Now she had lost a night's sleep and faced a long day of work with a late start. She was nearly stomping the ground with each step across the compound in frustration when she saw Alex ahead of her. One of the house guards was on the Lady's left and surprisingly Piper was walking on her right, and Piper was armed with a bow, a quiver of arrows strapped to her back.

Well, it hadn't been her plan, but her patience with the woman she now knew to be Piper Chapman was past its limit. A confrontation and demand for explanation was warranted and long overdue and with what she had been able to discover during the night she felt capable of asking the right questions; she hoped Alex's presence would ensure honest answers.

Nicky altered her path to intercept the trio and called out loudly. "Lady Vause, Chapman! A moment of your time please."

Using her last name was a good start; Piper had stopped dead in her tracks. Nicky could see as how wide the woman's eyes were as she turned so the two were facing each other across the distance. Alex had continued several steps before Nicky's request had filtered into her consciousness but was now starting to turn as well.

"That's right Chapman. You have some explaining to do, no more hiding." Nicky felt her anger rising. What danger had this woman brought to her best friend and household? She might not have gotten all the information she needed in the city, but she didn't need to. Piper Chapman would tell her everything and she would do it right now.

Nicky had been so sure of her approach and Piper's compliance she was stunned when the slave suddenly took a step to her right as she raised her bow, an arrow perched for flight in an instant, aimed in her direction.

"Shit Chapman, what are you doing?" Nicky was yelling even as she instinctively flattened to the ground. Firing at her, even if Piper missed, was a hanging offense. She hadn't even landed when she heard the soft whine of the fletching as the arrow sailed through the air above her.

* * *

Alex was thoroughly enjoying the morning. She felt almost giddy as her guard collected Piper from the slave quarters and gave her one of the finest long bows from the archery supply along with a quiver of well-made arrows. Piper's wide smile made Alex warm and happy, an emotion she was unaccustomed to.

Now they were traversing the large space from Piper's quarters to the archery range and Piper couldn't stop talking about the quality of the bow. She had even stopped to string it in order to demonstrate how the pliant yew was the best for range and accuracy. Alex really didn't care about archery, but she was secretly thrilled that Piper was so taken with her offer. An animated and delighted Piper was a joy to listen to, and beautiful to watch. Her blue eyes were dancing in the bright morning light and the easy smile that graced her face was stunning.

Alex had taken several steps before she realized Piper had stopped walking. Was that Nicky yelling? As she turned she could see the anger etched on her best friend's weary face. Nicky had called out to her, and to a Chapman. Was that Piper? Yes, Nicky was speaking to Piper, insisting she had something to explain.

One step. That was all the further Alex got before Piper stepped in front of her. With uncanny quickness Alex could see Piper reach back for an arrow and nock it. The arrow was in flight towards Nicky before she could lay a hand on the slave she had personally armed inside her estate with an instrument of death.

* * *

Piper knew she probably sounded like a silly teen-aged girl, but she couldn't bring herself to care enough to stop. It was a pleasant day and she was walking with Alex towards the archery range holding the lovely longbow the Lady had given her in her hands as she expounded on all of its attributes. Alex looked amused and pleased. She was looking forward to putting on an exhibition of her skill knowing it would get her off of trash duty and more importantly put her in a much better position to escape if that became necessary. She had been unable to formulate a full proof plan, especially in light of Mendez's little visit yesterday. Maybe gaining access to the wall would give her some new ideas.

When her family name rang out across the compound Piper knew she had just run out of time and froze. She recognized Nicky's voice and did a slow turn to face the second most powerful woman in House Vause. Nicky was yelling something at her, but Piper suddenly wasn't listening. Her skin was tingling with a sense of foreboding. What was happening didn't seem to have anything to do with Nicky Nichols and her gratingly loud voice.

It was a shadow. The day was still early enough that the sun was angled steeply across the top of the wall, but the ground was in full sunshine, until now. A small area of darkness had fallen across Piper's face and onto the area behind her, a man sized shadow that covered Lady Vause.

Instinct took over. She stepped in front of Alex as she readied and raised her weapon and sighted her target. She couldn't afford a moment's indecision. The arrow leapt away.

Piper had enough time to exhale before her body exploded in pain.

* * *

Alex saw Nicky hit the grass face first, the arrow sailing well over her head. Her eyes moved to follow the flight of the arrow but found only the wall behind her prone friend. Small chunks of brick and mortar were tumbling down and the fleeting thought crossed her mind that she still needed to authorize repairs. Her gaze tracked upward along the path of the falling debris but was abruptly obscured. She was wearing glasses as her poor vision required, but now it was if she was looking out through a kaleidoscope, the lenses coated with dripping liquid. The images were distorted as she watched more brick fall, then a bow.

When Alex looked to the top of the wall she found the source of the falling objects. It was a man clutching an arrow planted deep in the center of his chest. He looked down at her in shock and then tumbled forward, following the path of the crumbling wall he had involuntarily kicked. He made no sound, but his body slapped and thudded against the tall structure as gravity led him inexorably downward. With a final crunch he landed carelessly sprawled, a collection of broken bones and sinew 20 yards behind where Nicky was starting to stir from her dive to the ground.

What the hell was on her glasses? Alex ripped them from her face and wiped furiously at her shirt. It struck her what had happened; Piper had shot the man on the wall. He hadn't been dressed like one of her archers and was probably an assassin.

Alex slapped her frames back in place; they were clean enough to see. Only now a part of her wished she couldn't. Piper was slumped to the ground in front of her, an arrow lodged just below her slave collar where her neck met the top of her shoulder. With a shudder Alex realized Piper had stepped in front of her and taken the arrow meant for her and she had been sprayed with Piper's blood.

Alex rushed forward and dropped to the ground next to Piper as a shout for help tore from her throat. Blood was on her clothing and her skin, and there was so much of it.


	7. Chapter 7-The Slave Collar

AN-I love a good cliffhanger but couldn't keep you in suspense for too long! Don't worry, there will be others in the future! I will be out of town for the next week so no update this weekend. I should be able to pick up the pace after that and will be getting to the juicy Alex/Piper goodness. Enjoy!

Chapter Seven-The Slave Collar

"Whoa there blondie, settle down. You can't be moving around, at least while you're tethered to me."

Piper could hear the words, but the speaker sounded like she was in the bottom of a bucket. Unless that was always how Nicky sounded. She did as asked and tried not to move. Her head was pounding and the left side of her neck was scratchy and achy. There was also a dull pain in the crook of her left elbow. She delved for her last memory and came up with a man on the wall.

That got her eyes open as she tried to sit up. "Alex!" Piper tried to yell, but it came out more of a croak. "Assassin, archer."

"We know Chapman, its ok. Alex is fine, thanks to you, so lay back." For once the snark was absent from Nichols' voice. "Keep your mouth shut too, the healer said your vocal cords might be damaged."

Piper took the opportunity to look around. She immediately recognized the familiar bedroom of Lady Vause, but Alex was nowhere in sight. Nicky was sprawled across a lounge chair, her right arm across the top, and an IV tube extended from her elbow and ran down to the same location on Piper. That explained one ache at least, she was getting blood and Nichols was the donor.

Nicky gave her a smirk, the side of her lip twisting upward along with one eyebrow. "So, looks like you are back in the land of the living once again. You seem to make a habit of needing a healer and ending up in Vause's bed." Nicky tapped the IV with one finger. "Only turns out you and Alex weren't 'compatible' and you and me are a perfect match, so maybe. . ."

"Finish that sentence and you'll regret it Nicky." Alex swept into the room and rushed to Piper's side. "How are you feeling? Do you need something for the pain?"

"A little light-headed thank you, just pouring my blood into your gal here ya know." Nicky waved a hand towards Alex who shushed her never losing her focus on Piper.

Piper smiled at the interaction but the pain in her neck flared as she tried to speak. "Tired mostly."

"Crap, you're not supposed to talk and here I am asking questions. Just nod or shake your head ok? Would you like something to drink?" When Piper nodded Alex got a cup of water and helped her sip and then lie back down. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

* * *

George Mendez, Captain of the Guard of House Bloom stood at rigid attention.

"As the sun has risen, it is morning Captain Mendez. Is Piper Chapman secured somewhere outside of my vision here at the compound or have you failed yet again to procure that which I have asked for repeatedly?" Lawrence Bloom felt an unnatural calm over the latest debacle. Even though few men knew about the plan to assassinate Alexandra Vause and re-capture his former slave, his embarrassment at the ineptitude being demonstrated by House Bloom demanded discipline, and George Mendez would be the recipient today.

"Sir, The assassin got off a shot but missed Lady Vause. He was killed by return fire." Mendez knew the next part was likely to make his lord even angrier and gulped reflexively. "It appears Piper may have been hit by the arrow, in fact she stepped in to take the shot. She was also the one who took out our archer."

Lawrence felt his face flush with anger. "So not only do I have to deal with an angry and more cautious Alex Vause, it may be that Piper was killed or injured in the attack?"

"Our spies report Chapman is alive and recovering once again in Vause's rooms." At least George knew he could dispel the worst scenario.

Lawrence stood and walked to the edge of the raised area that held his chair. This way he was still a couple inches taller than Mendez. "The fact that Piper is alive is the only thing saving you from a public bullwhipping. This whole affair is still an unmitigated clusterfuck. I feel it is my duty, as your liege, to provide you with the proper motivation for our next move. Report to the punishment room immediately and wait for me."

The anticipation always heightened the sensations of the punishment, both for the receiver and himself. He waited 45 minutes before arriving at his private room, sure that Mendez would be prepared just as he had prepared many others for whatever pain Lawrence decided was appropriate for the offense.

Leaving two guards stationed outside Lawrence stepped in through the thick sound proof door and was instantly disappointed. "I assumed you would be ready for me, you certainly have had enough time."

"My lord, I was uncertain what you wanted of me." Mendez cursed under his breath. He knew Bloom was going to punish him, but his pride as Captain of the Guard had refused to allow for the possibility. He was the man who punished others, or prepared them for lord Bloom.

"Well now you know so be quick about it. Five extra for making me wait." Lawrence hadn't yet settled on an implement. Mendez was making his selection more painful with every second.

Mendez reached for the buttons on his shirt but fumbled with the very first one. He had not been on the receiving end of a punishment session in a very long time. He could see the anger began to surface in the unstable lord's face and hurried to finish removing the garment.

A set of cuffs appeared in Bloom's hands and he swiftly placed them on Mendez. "Face the post. I won't ask again."

Mendez shuffled over to the foot wide beam that ran from floor to ceiling. He reached up until the cuffs securing his hands were as high as they could go and settled the chain between on one of many spikes that had been placed at varying heights for just this purpose. He flattened his body against the lower portion of the post and waited.

Lawrence wasted no time in beginning now. He pulled down Mendez uniform pants and boxers to his knees and let the polished yew rod rest on the rise of the Captain's buttocks for several seconds; long enough for Mendez to understand he was facing a caning.

The first blow stung like a hundred wasp stings in a line across his butt cheeks and George let out a gasp.

"I do not tolerate incompetence." Lawrence snarled before laying down four more stripes parallel to the first.

"You serve at my pleasure, and I am greatly displeased." The next five strokes fell on the upper back.

"Piper Chapman is still not under my control."

Mendez flinched against the post and hollered as his lower back was painted with the pliant wood.

"If Alex Vause learns we are behind this embarrassing failure you will remember this whipping as a kindness." The last five worked up the back of his thighs, the most sensitive area.

Mendez had to struggle to stay put. He could easily jump and release himself from the post. His body was revolting against the worst pain he had ever felt, but he had seen what happened to those who panicked and tried to flee. Most died in agony.

Lawrence was panting; the caning had worked up a good sweat. He actually felt better as well; much of his anger had dissipated. He was glad he had decided to keep this private. Now Mendez would have the correct disposition for future actions.

"Report to me tomorrow morning. We have been acting in haste. I think the destruction of House Vause will be a long-term proposition, and there will be much for you to do to help bring that about. Taking Piper Chapman away from her lady will only be one small part."

Lawrence dropped the cane and left the room without a second glance. Just as he knew would happen, Mendez disengaged himself from the post, found the cuff key on a nearby table and removed them. Lastly he picked up the cane from the floor and returned it to its proper place before dressing to leave. He understood the dangers of working for someone like Lawrence Bloom, but he also knew the rewards could be things others only dreamed of. He would let his imagination run dark as the welts on his body flared with pain. Perhaps when she had been utterly destroyed, Bloom would give Alex Vause to him and he could bring her to this very room for a long session of revenge.

* * *

Alex waited patiently for Piper to wake up again. She was almost glad for the time where she could just watch the blonde sleep and think. She had spent her life with an undercurrent of danger, it was inescapable as the head of one of the great houses. But she had never had such a direct threat to her life and that made her indescribably angry. The fact that Piper had been injured and nearly died from blood loss assured that she would track who was behind the assassination attempt to the ends of the earth.

Alex reached out a shaking hand to smooth back a stray piece of blonde hair from Piper's face. She needed to get her emotions under control, but it was so hard. This woman, here for only weeks and wearing a slave collar, had taken an assassins arrow and saved her life. Now she knew from Nicky's inquiries that Piper had been enslaved by Lawrence Bloom less than a year ago for reasons unknown. She hoped Piper would trust her enough to dispel the mystery of her past when she was recovered.

If Alex was being honest with herself, her feelings towards Piper were already deep and romantic in nature before the arrows had flown in the compound. Now she couldn't imagine Piper not being in her life in a significant way. Either way she owed Piper her life, and Alex always paid her debts. She would provide Piper with whatever she needed, no questions asked. For now she just wanted to see the light in those blue eyes and hear that her voice was recovering.

The healer entered quietly, closing the door behind him. "Has she woken?"

Alex nodded. "Briefly, during the transfusion."

Seconds later the door opened with a loud thud as Nicky clomped into the room in her work boots. "How's the patient?"

Three sets of eyes turned to Piper as she let out a low groan and slowly woke up.

Alex scowled at her best friend. "Awake now. You sound like a herd of cattle Nicky."

The healer seated himself on the bed next to Piper and took her wrist feeling her pulse. "Good, steady. How do you feel?"

Piper had gotten her eyes open enough to see the three people huddled around her. "Better actually." Her neck was still sore, but her voice sounded stronger.

The healer nodded and smiled. "Very good. The swelling is down on your neck and it sounds like your vocal cords were not damaged." The older man reached into his bag and retrieved several items before looking at Alex. "I need to change the bandage; it may get a little bloody."

Alex had seen enough blood to last a lifetime in the last two days. She looked first to Piper. "I'm going to step out and talk to Nicky for a minute, but I'll be right back ok?"

"Sure." Piper's voice was still more of a whisper, but her color was much better.

Alex waved for Nicky to follow her and the two stepped into the outer room. "I want you to call for an assembly first thing tomorrow morning."

"Where and who should be in attendance." Nicky thought she knew what Alex wanted and was happy to assist.

"The compound. Every person who lives or works for House Vause and can possibly be in attendance. I want to tell everyone about what happened and get our people working on uncovering the identity of whoever ordered the assassination attempt. Then I have an announcement." Alex felt better just having a plan. They would get answers and decide on a course of action later.

"You sure you want to make this public? Word will get back to whoever orchestrated this." Nicky could see pros and cons of this approach.

Alex smiled. "I'm counting on it. Besides, we know there are spies here, at least Bloom's, if not others. As he is still our leading candidate I'm hoping we can track his mole."

The healer emerged from the bedroom. "The wound is healing nicely and she seems much more comfortable. Rest and time should be all she needs."

"Thank you. You have my deepest gratitude for your quick action. I won't forget it." Alex bowed to the man and could see the blush rise on his face.

"The honor is mine Lady Vause. I am glad to be of service." He fumbled with his cloak for a moment before backing out of the room.

Nicky laughed after his departure. "I think you embarrassed him Alex."

Alex didn't care; it was suddenly clear to her how many great people she had in her life, and that included the woman standing in front of her.

"Nicky, I can't tell you how grateful I am to you. You could have refused the transfusion. Spending the night gathering information to help me. Always standing by me. I couldn't ask for a better friend." Alex stepped forward and gathered Nicky in a bear hug.

Nicky shuffled her feet. "Now I'm the one who is embarrassed. Let go of me you giant." When her comment only caused Alex to squeeze tighter Nicky sighed. "Fine. You deserve to be happy Alex. You've always been there for me, even when I fuck up. Let me return the favor. Now let me go and spend some time with your girl."

Alex released her hold and stepped towards the bedroom door. "Nine o'clock in the morning. I'll make the announcements from the balcony."

The morning was cloudy but without rain. Piper has slept most of the night and Alex had insisted she rest in comfortable silence even when she was awake, letting her neck heal. She had the maid draw a bath early and Piper had clearly enjoyed spending time in the warm water getting clean in Alex's spacious tub. Alex had not shared her plans with Piper, but she couldn't imagine any complaints would have been forthcoming even had she told her.

She left Piper to dress in privacy and have a light breakfast and returned promptly at 9. "Are feeling up to standing for a few minutes with me?"

Piper drew her eyebrows together in confusion but answered, "Yes."

"Then come here please." Alex had walked over to the balcony doors and waited for Piper to join her.

Alex opened the doors wide and took Piper's hand before stepping out. Several hundred people were milling around the open space of the compound waiting for Alex to appear. Alex was glad she had a hold on Piper who instantly shrank back in surprise.

"It's all right. I called for an assembly this morning. I have an announcement to make. Will you be ok?" Alex didn't want to push Piper's recovery if it was too soon.

Piper visibly relaxed but only after the blonde's eyes quickly scanned the top of the wall. "I'm fine, but why am I here?"

Alex smiled. "Just wait here. It will only be a moment."

When Piper nodded Alex let go of her hand and approached the railing. The crowd called out cheers and greetings then quickly settled when Alex raised her hand.

"Many of you have heard there was an attempt on my life two days ago. The rumors are true." Gasps of disbelief and shouts of anger rose from the assembly.

"I would ask all of you to help me identify the people responsible for hiring the common assassin who breached our wall and fired an arrow at me. Any information you can gather, without resorting to physical harm, should be directed to Ms. Nichols who will be leading the investigation."

Alex turned and waved Piper forward to the rail. "The arrow meant for me was taken in self-sacrifice by this woman, a slave of House Vause, who also shot and killed the assassin preventing any additional attempts."

Alex reached down to a side table and took something out of a box that had been placed there. "Piper was gravely injured, but saved when the arrow struck the metal of her slave collar before deflecting into her shoulder."

Alex held up the dented metal for all to see before turning to face Piper. "Piper Chapman, as the head and rightful heir of House Vause, I hereby declare to all those free and enslaved gathered today, that you are now and forever after a free woman. You may make your own decisions in life unfettered by any claim to this house or by any others of another house who may attempt a claim. You have the full protection of House Vause and all who live and work here for as long as you desire."

Alex threw the collar over the balcony and stepped closer to Piper so that only she could hear. "I owe you my life and my undying gratitude. Thank you." She could see that her surprise had been successful, Piper was grinning from ear to ear and there were tears in her eyes. Alex hoped this day would be the beginning of something special.


	8. Chapter 8-Free to Be Me

AN-Back to the action! You all have been great with the follows, favorites and reviews and I intend to do my best to reward your loyalty with more frequent chapters. On we go-enjoy!

Chapter 8-Free to Be Me

Crouched low behind the smokestack on the building across the street she could see shadows moving through the cheaply curtained windows of the upper floors of the whorehouse. Apparently Bloom wasn't a big believer in spending money on the 'working rooms.' From her brief experience, as long as a bed was available the men didn't really notice the other furnishings anyway. The thin worn material was probably only present to keep those outside from getting a free show, but it served her purpose for now.

The woman she was looking for was small and darkly skinned with short curly hair, much like their mutual friend's, the woman who was even now moving into the alley below. Piper waited, peering out from beneath the hood of her black cloak, actually thankful for the cold weather that made the necessary clothing choice appropriate and not out of place. This was the perfect vantage for this particular Bloom 'pleasure palace.' After payment at the front desk, the men were escorted to one of ten rooms on the second or third floor, all of which faced the street and the warehouse on which Piper was perched.

A whistle pierced the night signaling that Poussey was in position and all was quiet below. Piper scanned the rooms looking for the target, but she wasn't yet participating in any of the paid sex acts even though the evening was reaching its peak. Where was her hired man? Had he decided not to participate or should she warn Poussey that he might have turned on them?

There. The lights went on in the corner room nearest the alley, just where she had directed the man to be if possible. The curtains moved aside and with some effort the man she had hired pulled open the rotting window. Piper could see him step back holding the small woman to the side as well. Now it was her turn.

Piper slipped the cloak from her shoulders and reached for the bow strapped to her back. She selected one of the arrows she had made by hand, weighted to offset the thin but strong rope tied to the back. Stepping out from the smokestack, she carefully lined up her shot, taking a deep breath as she drew back on the bowstring. She had practiced for hours with different arrows and ropes until she found a combination that worked consistently at a reasonable range. Twenty yards across a narrow street aiming downward her accuracy should be outstanding, but it needed to be perfect. She would only get one shot at this.

With a twang the arrow flew forward, twisting slightly from the rope's drag, but on target. Piper watched as it sailed into the dank room and buried into the mattress on the bed. Her hired man wasted no time in retrieving the arrow, disengaging the rope and tying it to the thick bed frame. When he had finished Piper moved to the edge of the building and whistled, waiting until Poussey appeared below to toss the free end of the rope down to her. She drew a second arrow, this one with a sharp point and no attachment and crouched down, scanning the street below for any interruptions.

Thankfully this time it hadn't taken any convincing to get the target to crawl out of the window and shimmy down the rope. Two of their past attempts had nearly failed when the women had to be convinced that the escape was for real and not part of some test of their loyalty. The woman had reached the ground and even from the rooftop Piper could see her shoulders shaking with sobs as she clutched Poussey. When the rope landed at their feet, the Lieutenant for House Vause stepped over and coiled it into a sack before taking the target's hand and leading her quickly away. Only then did Piper put away her bow and arrow, re-don her cloak, and slip down the side stairs in order to follow the others to the safe house several blocks away.

As she walked Piper thought back on how much her life had changed since the day Alex had granted her freedom.

_Piper walked off of the balcony and back into Alex's room in a daze. The last thing she had imagined this morning was having a declaration of her freedom made, and in such a public forum. Not only was she no longer a slave, but Alex had sworn to protect her with the resources of House Vause. Her new status could change everything, but it also brought untold risk to Alex and her people. _

"_Why?"_

_Alex had followed her inside and seemed to be uncertain what to do until Piper spoke._

"_Because you deserve it. I owe you my life."_

"_That's not why I did it you know, to get out of your collar." Piper wasn't sure why she was saying these things to Alex. She was certainly grateful not to be held in slavery, there was just this deep stubborn streak telling her she wanted to stay free of any obligations, especially while Larry still had his plans. _

"_Then why step in front of an arrow?" Alex was still smiling, but a hint of hurt colored her voice._

_Piper opted not to provide the answer her heart was giving, at least until Alex knew all the facts. "There are things you need to know, even more now. You have done so much for me and offered your protection. You deserve to know how much that might entail." _

_Alex had insisted she return to bed to sit comfortably as she told the tale of her past. Once she had started talking and saw Alex listening intently she felt such a huge relief. Keeping everything in for the past year had been so hard, and lonely. She told Alex about the farm where she grew up and how hard her father worked, right up to the day he collapsed in the fields just before the harvest. After his death her mother had allowed the crop to rot and talked incessantly about selling the property and leaving the country for a house in the city. Then one day Lord Lawrence Bloom had appeared at dinner oozing oily charm and her mother had made it clear Piper was to court him and reciprocate his feelings._

_She was unprepared for the insistent pressure from everyone around her. Larry, who gritted his teeth every time she used the name, became a constant presence at the farm, bringing his advisors in to measure and examine the property while he treated her like just another asset to be assessed for value and put in its proper place. Her mother acted as if he was a gift from the gods themselves and that Piper should be eternally grateful for the opportunity to align the Chapman's with House Bloom. Even Polly had become starry-eyed at the prospect of Piper getting the chance to become the lady of a great house. _

_When he finally asked for her hand in marriage Piper had known the answer she was supposed to give, the only answer she could give was yes, and yet the word would not come out. She could only see her future life at the hands of Larry Bloom as an unimaginable horror. When she had shaken her head no and croaked out an "I can't," Piper saw Larry's eyes narrow and darken and a cruel smile curled his lips. "There are options less agreeable than marriage Piper; you may want to re-consider."_

_As the first hot tears slid down her face Alex had slid onto the bed next to her and held her tight. She waited a moment and then asked in a low tone, "What happened."_

"_He tried to convince me for a while, with my mom and Polly helping at every chance. Then I overheard him one night in my father's study talking to one of his advisors, a nasty man named Healy. They were talking about the fields and how perfect they would be for Larry's plans as soon as the property was owned by House Bloom. Larry was angry that my mom wouldn't just sell; she insisted that he marry me so that I would be the lady of a house. Mom also wanted him to grant my brother Cal a position if he ever returned from his wanderings. Larry laughed with Healy and said he would have my brother killed and just take me as a whore if I didn't come around soon."_

_Her tears had turned cold and Piper buried her face in Alex's warm neck. Alex stroked her back gently. "You don't have to go on right now; maybe you should get some rest."_

"_No, I want to finish. I need to get this all out or I might never do it." Piper settled into Alex's embrace loving the way she felt comforted and safe. "I was angry and impulsive. I flew into the room and confronted Larry about what I had heard. He said he was glad it was all out in the open now, the charade over. Mendez bound and gagged me and took me to their carriage outside. For several hours Bloom's men emptied my home of anything of value into several carts. I watched as they took away our female servants and killed the one man still working for us. Larry came to the carriage and made sure I could see my mother bound to her bedpost through the window as he had the house set on fire. We drove away with the flames taking everything, the house, barns and outbuildings."_

"_Oh Piper. That's so terrible." Alex tightened her hold. "I knew Bloom was rotten, but that's just evil."_

"_He murdered my mother Alex. We were very different people, but I never wanted anything bad to happen to her. When we got to his compound he put his collar on me and told me that if I didn't sign over my rights to the property he would find Cal and torture him to hand it over. He also said he was keeping Polly as an insurance policy to assure my good behavior. I guess he underestimated my stubbornness. When over time I still refused he sent me to Vee's, said I needed to learn my new position in the world. You know what happened from there."_

"_That bastard." Alex growled._

_Piper sighed. "So you see the danger I have brought you just by being here. He is a murderer and tried to have you assassinated. Gods only know what he has done to Polly by now. I don't think he's found Cal though from what Mendez said to me in the barn." Piper drew back so she could look Alex in the eye. "He won't stop Alex. He is obsessed with getting me, controlling me, all because I refused him. I should just leave, slip away, then he has no reason to bother you anymore."_

_Alex laughed and started to reach for Piper again, but instead stood up and fluffed the pillows indicating that Piper should lie down again. "You need to sleep and recover. I know you are still weak from the wound." After she did as asked, Alex smoothed her hair and kissed her on the forehead. "Bloom, who we will forever now call Larry, has been after me for as long as I've been the lady of this house. He hates who I am without additional incentive. If you think for one second that I'm going to let you run away in guilt then think again. You are a free woman Piper Chapman, but I am asking you to stay. Something tells me we can figure out what to do about Larry better together, don't you agree?"_

Piper hadn't come up with a good reason to leave then, and she wouldn't even consider it now. She turned the corner; the safe house was on the next block over. Alex had given her a room, a position in the guard as an archer, and she thought with a smile, so much more.

_It had been two weeks since the healer had declared her fit for duty. Alex had been checking in on her nearly every day to see how her recovery was progressing. They had spent time talking about everything from crops to politics to literature. It turned out Alex was even more well-read than she was, and Piper loved to read. Alex actually read to her on several evenings, some of her favorite stories and poetry. They talked a little about Larry, but Alex seemed content to leave him out of their discussions for the most part, not wanting to cause Piper any more distress._

_Alex was attracted to her, of that Piper had been certain all along. What a glorious feeling that was, knowing such a powerful and gorgeous woman wanted her. The feelings were absolutely reciprocal on her part, but she felt scared and more than a little apprehensive about the physical part after what she had been through. Not that Alex had been anything but supportive._

"_Come to dinner. I have arranged for something special and I hope you'll like it." Alex could be so confident and insecure in the same sentence._

"_Of course, you know I will." Piper had blushed like a schoolgirl, but she was right. Dinner had been candlelit with a breeze blowing in through the open balcony doors. It was the most romantic night of Piper's life and the fabulous wine had her feeling more than a little playful. Alex had taken her hand and led her out onto the balcony where she had been made a free woman and they watched the stars twinkle as they danced to soft music.  
_

"_I want to kiss you." Alex's voice had grown husky and it sent a pleasant shiver down Piper's spine. She didn't want to respond with words so she titled her face up until her lips were a fraction from Alex's then pressed them gently together. Alex moaned in pleasure and then took control, moving more deeply into the kiss. Piper was giddy inside, kissing Alex felt soooo good. Then Alex had stroked her hands down Piper's back pulling the two of them tightly together and Piper froze stiff. _

"_I'm sorry." Piper stepped back but kept hold of one of Alex's hands._

"_Too much?" Alex inquired, but Piper was pleased to see no anger or judgment in the question._

"_I guess." Piper moved back into Alex's arms which held her softly now, one hand stroking her hair._

"_Piper, I can't even imagine what you've been through and there is absolutely no rush. I love spending time with you and that kiss was incredible." With one sexy eyebrow quirked up Alex brought her lips to Piper's once again. "How about we just stick with this for now?"_

Alex had been true to her word. She hadn't pushed, hadn't demanded, and in fact had been nothing but patient and affectionate. That was probably why Piper was starting to feel really terrible about hiding her extra nighttime activities from Alex. Only Poussey was aware of what she was doing and that was because she had become her co-conspirator.

Piper was approaching the side door of the safe house located in a side alley. She needed to check in on their latest escapee and make sure she was secure, and then she and Poussey could head home. Piper smiled, the Vause estate really was starting to feel like home.

She had reached the doorway when a hand darted out and pulled her to the side, behind a stack of crates in the alley. Piper tried to reach for her bow, but the space was too tight and her assailant had pushed her back against the bricks of the house. Her wandering mind had cost her; she should have been paying attention.

"Stop Chapman, it's me, Nicky." The shorter woman barked at her, revealing her face from beneath her cloak. "You, young lady, have some explaining to do. Shall we join Lieutenant Washington inside?"


End file.
